England were not able to cash in on home conditions nor by their marauding batsmen when they crashed out of the 2017 Champions Trophy after a defeat at the hands of Pakistan. The pitch, which was not the typical flat deck their batsmen are so used to playing on and scoring tons of runs, coupled with Pakistan's vicious reverse-swing exploits led the host to crumble under pressure and shatter the dreams of winning their first-ever global ODI tournament.
However, they did not ponder over the failure. Instead, they worked on the glaring chink in their armour: their bowling. The bowlers, though full of potential, were unable to contain the opposition batsmen and so England's only option to win the match was by outscoring their opponents.
But the opening game of the 2019 World Cup saw a change in England's approach and an attempt to learn from their past failures. On a pitch that was slow, where the ball was gripping and had help for the spinners, the England batting line-up led by Ben Stokes batted with smartness, taking calculative risks and were not cowed down by the fall of wickets.
During South Africa's chase, England unleashed a bowling attack which is arguably their best in the last one year. Led by Jofra Archer, who skittled out the opposition batsmen with his ferocious pace and impeccable length, England showed that they can defend moderate scores with a much-improved bowling line-up. Only time will tell if they will manage to win the World Cup. But the hosts have arrived at the stage with a mission in their sight and determination in their heart.
Pakistan, on the other hand, are battling with their own numerous problems. They have failed to win a single match in their last ten ODIs. The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly expressed displeasure over Sarfaraz and Mickey Arthur's performance. Their batting has looked fragile and the bowling lacks the famous Pakistani bite.
It will be an uphill task for Pakistan to make a comeback from a disastrous situation of such magnitude. And by going up against the strongest side of the tournament, Pakistan have ensured that the odds are stacked heavily against them. But, if history has taught us anything, this team performs best with their backs against the wall, when any hope of glory deserts their fans and well-wishers. So it will be interesting to see their approach and fate: whether they sink further, or triumph against adversity.
Match timing: 3:00 PM (IST)
Where to watch: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 HD Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Kannada, Star Sports 1 Bangla. For online streaming, users can avail Hotstar
Pitch report and conditions: Trent Bridge has been a death bed for the bowlers in recent times. It was in this ground only where England amassed two world records -- first they posted 444 for 3 against Pakistan in 2016, the then highest total in ODI. And in 2018, they surpassed that by scoring 481 for 6 against Australia. So, England's favourite hunting ground can dish out another flat deck to help the hosts to a mammoth total. But, as was seen in the match between Pakistan and West Indies on Friday, the bowlers will also get plenty of assistance especially in terms of pace and bounce.
Team news: England can follow West Indies' tactics of firing barrage of short balls to the Pakistan batsmen and unsettle them. For that purpose, they can rope in Mark Wood in place of Chris Woakes in the first eleven to compliment Archer's pace. Pakistan, on the other hand, can include the experienced Shoaib Malik to provide stability in their wobbling batting line-up. In their bowling department, Shaheen Afridi can come in place of Wahab Riaz.
Probable XI:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & WK), Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Rashid Khan
Betting Odds: England 5/19, Pakistan 10/3