PAK vs AUS 2026, PAK vs AUS 3rd ODI Match Preview

Big picture: Australia’s grit sets up decider

Quite what either side will ultimately take from this ODI series is debatable, but a patched-up Australia side can be proud of how they adapted to earn a decider against Pakistan in Lahore after being outplayed in the opening match. As a number of ESPNcricinfo feedbackers pointed out, it’s been something of a throwback with a 1990s vibe around the scoring rates. In the first match, 200 wasn’t enough for Australia, but in the second 231 certainly was.

Josh Inglis and Cameron Green put in the hard yards during the first half of the innings – it was especially hard work for Green, who battled for rhythm, but there was satisfaction in his gritty fifty which he acknowledged with a somewhat relieved punch of the air – and their innings allowed Matt Renshaw and latterly 19-year-old Oli Peake to play with a little more freedom.

Renshaw’s form has been especially eye-catching, extending a strong introduction to Australia’s white-ball set-up since late last year, while Peake’s maturity was on show when he did not panic at being 6 off 15 balls and managed to dispatch vital late sixes.

With the ball, Nathan Ellis was ideal for the slow, grippy surface and produced a career-best performance. The spinners all played their role, with Matt Short’s three wickets fitting into the bonus category; his delivery to slide past Salman Agha’s outside edge was an excellent piece of bowling.

Ahead of the match, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson defended the home surfaces the team is playing on before being hoisted by their own petard. Arafat Minhas looks a very exciting find – with bat and ball – while Ghazi Ghori has shown plenty of promise. But a lot of questions remain. Shadab Khan continued to labour with the ball, but his 71 kept Pakistan in the game although he may in the longer run have muddied the waters.

Pakistan have only lost one home bilateral ODI series since 2015 but, after the recent loss in Bangladesh, a defeat in the decider on Thursday would add to the uncertainty around their game as a whole.

Form guide

Pakistan LWLWL(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WLLWW

In the spotlight: Sahibzada Farhan and Matt Renshaw

Sahibzada Farhan has forged his reputation in T20s – domestically and internationally – but he’s found life tougher in the early stages of his ODI career. He has made three starts in five innings but not been able to convert; in the first game of this series he gave it away when he picked out long-off. In the second match, he top-edged a sweep in the second over, having already lost his opening partner, and it left Pakistan on the back foot.

Matt Renshaw has been the most fluent batter on show in the first two matches in tough conditions. The left-hand batter has continued his impressive white-ball form with smart placement, good running and putting away the bad ball. His only blip has been falling on both occasions when Australia needed someone to close out the innings, although the two dismissals were against good deliveries. There is argument that he may be worth a go higher up the order.

Team news: Labuschagne under pressure

Pakistan have been unchanged so far and Shadab’s runs will likely keep him in the XI given the balance he brings to the lower order. There is a clamour for Sufyan Moqim to play but it’s tricky to see how he fits in unless they drop a batter or only play one quick.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Maaz Sadaqat, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Ghazi Ghouri (wk), 5 Arafat Minhas, 6 Salman Agha, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi (capt), 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed

Australia’s initial thoughts on this series may have been to give most players an outing, but their balance for the second match served them well so Liam Scott will likely have to wait for his debut. Labuschagne has missed out twice in the series – extending a lean time in ODIs – and is under increasing pressure but may cling onto his place for now. There could be consideration given to elevating Renshaw given his fine form.

Australia (probable) 1 Alex Carey, 2 Matt Short, 3 Josh Inglis (capt & wk), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Matt Renshaw, 7 Oli Peake, 8 Matt Kuhnemann, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Tanveer Sangha

Pitch and conditions: Spin to win; small chance of rain

Unless Pakistan change tack, it’s likely to be another game dominated by the spinners on a slow surface, which means more hard work for the batters. There is a small chance of some rain playing a part on what will be another hot day.

Stats and trivia

Adam Zampa needs three wickets to become the seventh Australia men’s bowler to 200 ODI wickets.
Australia have not won an ODI series in Pakistan since 1998, although that includes a gap of 24 years between playing in the country.
Ellis has removed Babar Azam three times in just five ODIs – the joint most of any bowler against Babar in the format.

Quotes

“I think we gave away 20-30 extra runs towards the end. We lost wickets early on and that built pressure on us.”
Shaheen Afridi on where things went wrong in the second match

“It looks a little bit different to the traditional one-day cricket we’re seeing around the world at the moment, but I do think there’s a place for it too.”
Nathan Ellis on the conditions

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

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