Pakistan vs Australia 3rd T20I Prediction & Match Preview – Lahore
Match summary
Pakistan have already sealed the series and are eyeing a 3–0 sweep. Our 3rd T20I preview from Gaddafi Stadium covers pitch, weather and likely XIs.
Match details
| Match | Pakistan vs Australia, 3rd T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | Australia tour of Pakistan 2026 |
| Date | 1 Feb 2026 |
| Start time | 11:00 am GMT / 4:00 pm local |
| Venue | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Pakistan |
| Toss pick | Australia |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Pakistan have won the first two matches with ease to secure the series, and they head into the final game aiming for a 3–0 sweep at home. Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and Salman Agha have all contributed, Saim with 40 off 22 balls in the opener and Salman with 76 off 40 in the second game. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam steady the middle order, and Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have done the finishing.
The spinners are the standout story. They have taken 16 of Australia’s 18 wickets, with Saim Ayub also striking in the powerplay and Abrar Ahmed, Nawaz and Shadab controlling the middle overs. Australia’s batting group lacks experience against quality spin.
Australia’s struggles on slower surfaces have decided the series, although the final game is expected to be more batting-friendly. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis will want to go hard early, Matthew Short can give stability, and Cameron Green and Inglis have power at the death. Xavier Bartlett and Cooper Connolly have four wickets between them, and Adam Zampa and Mahli Beardman have shared seven.
Gaddafi Stadium is generally good for batting, with pace and bounce allowing free stroke play early. The surface can slow as the match progresses, which brings spinners and bowlers with variations into play in the middle overs. Dew often appears at night and favours chasing sides, and the venue is known for high-scoring games.
Conditions should be favourable around 4:00 pm local time, with temperatures near 20–21 °C, cloudy to mostly cloudy skies and light winds. No major threat of rain is expected.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 165–180 | – |
| Second innings | 155–170 | – |
Pakistan
Pakistan have outplayed a reshuffled Australia twice, led by a spin attack that has taken 16 of 18 wickets, and are settled as a unit.
Toss pick: Australia
FAQ
Who is expected to win Pakistan vs Australia in the 3rd T20I?
Our preview favours Pakistan, who won the first two games to take the series.
How have Pakistan’s spinners performed so far?
They have taken 16 of the 18 Australian wickets to fall across the first two matches.
Could Marcus Stoinis play?
He missed the first two games and could be brought in to add depth, according to our preview.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Pakistan
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Aghac
- Babar Azam
- Usman Khanwk
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Shadab Khan
- Faheem Ashraf
- Abrar Ahmed
- Naseem Shah
- Usman Tariq
Australia
- Matthew Short
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Marshc
- Cameron Green
- Josh Ingliswk
- Matt Renshaw
- Cooper Connolly
- Xavier Bartlett
- Sean Abbott
- Matthew Kuhnemann
- Adam Zampa
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of Pakistan and Australia that we covered.