Following the abandonment of the series opener at Headingley, England took a 1-0 lead in their T20 tussle with Pakistan last time out, prevailing by 23 runs in the second match at Edgbaston.
Jos Buttler inspired the hosts to victory with a knock of 84, while Jofra Archer picked up his first wickets for England after more than a year.
The series heads to Sophia Gardens in Cardiff next and a victory for England would wrap up the series, while Pakistan could take it to a series decider at the Oval on Thursday if they come out on top in Wales.
England v Pakistan third T20 Tips
- Phil Salt top England batter @ 23/10
- Babar Azam to score 26 or more runs @ 17/20
- Adil Rashid top England bowler @ 16/5
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Salt can step up to the plate
Buttler was England’s best performer in the second T20 in Edgbaston but the England skipper is unavailable for the third match of the series as he awaits the impending birth of his third child.
England will therefore require big performances from elsewhere at the top of the order and one man who should deliver is Phil Salt.
Salt was far from his best last time out but he showed the quality is there with scores of 109 not out and 119 in the West Indies back in December.
And he carried that form into the Indian Premier League this season, striking 435 runs in 12 innings for Kolkata Knight Riders, meaning he finished 14th in the top runscorer charts.
He has enjoyed a decent 2024 and can make his mark against Pakistan.
Azam should put on a decent total
Another top batsman to keep an eye on at Sophia Gardens is Babar Azam.
It was not the most devastating showing from Azam at Edgbaston in Birmingham last time out but his knock of 32 was bettered only by Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan.
In their recent T20 series with Ireland, Azam posted respectable innings of 75 and 57 in Dublin and in Lahore back in April he also made an eye-catching 69 against New Zealand.
In T20 cricket for Pakistan, Azam averages 41.10 and he looks a prime candidate to top score for the visitors.
Spinner Rashid could shine at Sophia Gardens
England have been lacking pace options in the bowling department with both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer having been out of action at various times but spin could be the key at Sophia Gardens if conditions go the right way.
Inclement weather in Cardiff often favours spin and if that is the case on Tuesday, Adil Rashid could capitalise.
Rashid took just the one wicket at Edgbaston last time out but has taken two wickets in four of his last six matches and is consistent with the ball for his country.
Fast bowler Archer earned plenty of plaudits on his long-awaited return at Edgbaston but the start of his spell was concerning as he leaked 15 runs in his opening over and England will be careful not to overplay him after a testing time with injuries for the paceman.
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