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Summary Batting first, Pakistan has set England a target of 238 in final ODI.
However, this total is not enough to say that series whitewash would be difficult for the English side.Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Asad Shafiq struck six boundaries in his 65 to give Pakistan a lift in Dubai.He was joined by Azhar Ali, the other of the due considered to be future of Pakistan batting. At one point, both lifted teams spirits with a counter-attacking second-wicket stand in the final ODI and added 111 to push Pakistan to 119 for 2.It was in fact them two who set the platform from where Pakistan could have posted a formidable total.England bowled the last player of Pakistan on the last ball. Captain Misbah hit into an English player’s hands while trying a big shot. Shafiq made a 78-ball 65 for his sixth one-day fifty while Ali notched a 89-ball 58 for his first to help lift Pakistan from the early loss of opener Mohammad Hafeez (one) in the second over after they won the toss and elected to bat.Skipper Misbah-ul Haq chipped in with a 52-ball 46 which included one four and a six.Shafiq, who hit six boundaries, repaired the early loss during his second wicket stand of 111 with Ali as Pakistan looked to salvage some pride after losing the first three matches.England then pegged back Pakistan when paceman Tim Bresnan dismissed Shafiq off an inside edge and debutant left-arm spinner Danny Briggs accounted for Umar Akmal, who made 12.Paceman Jade Dernbach, who finished with 4-45, had Ali caught off a miscued drive by Eoin Morgan to leave Pakistan at 144-4 in the 34th over.Misbah and Shoaib Malik (23) added 58 for the fifth wicket as Pakistan managed 26 in the batting power-play but failed to capitalise as Malik fell leg-before to Briggs who finished with 2-39.Shahid Afridi also failed to help Misbah increase the run-rate in the final overs, as he holed out off Steven Finn for nine.Pakistan were without experienced batsman Younis Khan for the second match in a row after he failed to recover from a fever, while opener Imran Farhat was left out due to a groin injury.Paceman Umar Gul and Aziaz Cheema were also excluded from the third match line-up with Junaid Khan, Malik and Abdul Rehman replacing them.England omitted Ravi Bopara (stiff back), Graeme Swann (calf injury) and rested Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Their places were taken by Briggs, Jos Butler, Dernbach and Bresnan.
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