We are nearing an end to arguably, the best T20 world cup ever considering the quality of matches and the sheer thrill it provided till the end. Pakistan on one hand was on the verge of an early knockout of the tournament and gave a miraculous comeback to storm into the finals. England on the other hand has had their fair share of hapless moments but still managed to produce one of the most dominating wins in T20I cricket against India. Before heading into the jam-packed finals, let us analyze their performances based on this world cup.
Melbourne Stadium Analysis
Before the finals, both the teams had a mind-blowing series where the results went back and forth with England clinching the series 4-3 in Pakistan. They have had very close battles and we are expecting nothing short this time. MCG is known to produce wickets which assist quick pacers with an average of 14 and an economy rate of below 7 for them this world cup. Though teams tend to start off on a slow note in the powerplay, they tend to pick up in the middle overs and the run rate goes beyond 10 in the death overs. Teams winning the toss would generally prefer to bat first since the pitch tends to become tacky as the game progresses with the only win coming against Pakistan by virtue of a Kohli masterclass.
Key Players Match-Ups
LS Livingstone vs Shadab Khan
Liam Livingstone is known for his berserk hitting abilities and Shadab is known for his smart and accurate leg spin bowling. But in terms of their rivalry, it is Livingstone who triumphs. He is always known to take on the leggies, having a strike rate of 145 against them in the T20s and he has been dismissed only once against Shadab (during his destructive 103). So, it will be interesting to see if Shadab with his witty bowling can counter Livingstone.
Babar Azam vs Adil Rashid
Babar Azam and Rashid are going through a tough phase in this world cup in their respective domains. While talking about their rivalry, it has been an even rivalry so far with the batter being cautious while Rashid has gotten the better of him thrice. Considering their current form, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Mohammed Rizwan vs Adil Rashid
Rizwan is also another one of Pakistan’s batters who has looked out of touch in this world cup, a batter who has the ability to turn the game around for his team. While Rizwan has been aggressive against Rashid in their rivalry, the latter too has succeeded twice in getting the star batter out. A very interesting stat here is that out of the 121 deliveries Rizwan has faced against right-arm leg spinners in his T20 career, 49.5 percent of the deliveries have been against Rashid alone.
Top Bowlers Comparison
Sam Curran has been an absolute revelation for team England. He has not only acted as a crucial wicket-taking bowler but has also been phenomenal in the death overs. Shaheen Afridi had a modest few matches where he had been an economical bowler rather than a strike bowler, but he came back exceptionally well in the last three matches.
Here, we can see that Shaheen Afridi stands out in the first 10 balls of the innings where he has not only been economical but also wicket-taking, mainly due to his powerplay prowess. When it comes to the last 10 balls, Sam Curran has been a force to reckon with. His spells against Afghanistan and New Zealand are two different high-quality spells. While he relied more on pacy yorkers against Afghanistan, he took the pace of the ball against New Zealand proving his wide variety of skill sets.
Conclusion
The next 40 overs are going to decide the winner of a high-quality tournament in all aspects of the game. Is it going to be a miraculous finish for Pakistan or is it going to be a fruitful conclusion for the ever-rising England? We have to wait and watch.
