England captain Ben Stokes found himself in a challenging situation not on the field, but during a press conference ahead of the third and final Test in Rawalpindi. A Pakistani journalist struggled to articulate a question in broken English regarding England’s impressive score of 823 runs in the first Test in Multan. The reporter was trying to ask if Stokes thought his team could achieve a similar result in the upcoming match, given that the pitch appeared to be a “paradise for batters.”
Stokes asked the journalist to repeat the question three times, appearing puzzled by the wording. Nevertheless, he remained composed and eventually answered the question. After the press conference, he approached the reporter to apologize for the misunderstanding, according to another Pakistani journalist.
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Series Tied at 1-1
With the series currently tied at 1-1, Stokes stressed the significance of the upcoming match. He noted that the spin-friendly conditions at Rawalpindi would likely play a vital role in determining the match’s outcome.
Stokes expressed confidence in his spin trio—Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir, and Rehan Ahmed—stating, “We don’t know exactly how the wicket will play, but we’ve taken as much information from it as we can.”
Spin Bowling Pivotal for Both Teams
As both teams gear up for the decisive match, Pakistan has retained its spin-heavy bowling attack, which includes Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Zahid Mahmood, along with one pacer. Pakistan aims to capitalize on their previous success with spin, while England seeks to assert their dominance again.
Stokes mentioned that both teams would likely prefer to bat first, indicating that spin will become increasingly important as the match progresses. Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie shared Stokes’s view, predicting that the nearly bald pitch would favor slower bowlers, thus providing Pakistan with an opportunity to leverage their home advantage once more.