England Playing XI For 3rd Test vs Pakistan Announced; Rehan Ahmed Returns

Keeping in mind another slow and low turner for the third and final game of the three Tests against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, England has recalled their leg-spin all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, which they lacked in the last Multan Test. He will feature alongside Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach in a three-spin attack.

Rehan was part of three Test matches in India at the start of the year but hasn’t featured for England in any of the formats since February. The home side is going at the extreme rate to dry out the Pindi surface after their 152-run victory on a reused track for the second game, and that has led the Ben Stokes-led side to use their third frontline spin option.

The 20-year-old spin all-rounder has picked up 18 wickets in eight innings of the red-ball format at an average of under 35 and a strike rate of more than eight overs, with a best bowling figure of 5/48 in an innings.

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“They have had the rakes out, the fans, and the heaters on the pitch. Everyone goes and looks at the wicket and says something different. Hopefully, it’s just like any other Pakistani pitch.’’ The middle-order batter of the England side, Harry Brook, expressed at the presser two days before the game. “It’s good to bat on for the first few days and then hopefully, we can get a bit of turn out of it at the back end of the game.”

During the second Multan Test, 12 of the 20 wickets came from the visiting spinners in a comparison of all the wickets that were picked by the two Pakistan spin options, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. The next game in Asia for the England side is in 2027 when they will make a trip to India. All of these scenarios will put the context on an important note.

England adds Gus Atkinson for the third Test match vs Pakistan

The new sensational pace bowler for the Three Lions, Gus Atkinson, who had an incredible summer in the six Tests against West Indies and Sri Lanka, struggled in the first innings of the opening Multan Test by going for 99 runs in 25 overs besides collecting only a couple of wickets, while in the second innings, he managed another two wickets of Babar Azam and the opponent captain Shan Masood.

He will partner with their captain Stokes, as the two bowling options. The lash square of the Pindi ground has informed the selection of the England side that reverse swing isn’t expected to play a major role in the game. The ground, however, suits seam over spin, and that could push the side for a risk.

“I think the conditions are going to be a little bit different. We played on an extremely flat pitch here last time. It was awesome to bat on, and we scored a good rate of knots. This game’s probably going to be slightly different. It might turn earlier on, who knows?” Brook highlighted.

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Pressure will also be on England’s batting side after how they fell like a pack of cards in the fourth innings of the last Test. Ollie Pope, since nailing the century in the final game of the summer, has again struggled to extend the purple patch. Stokes has been in the same bracket, and they need to have a better plan for holding the batting department.

England Playing XI vs Pakistan For The 3rd Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk.), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.