Pitch Report

It's pretty warm out here, the good news is that there is no chance of rain today. Talking about the dimensions, 62m to my left and 67m to my right and 79m down the ground. It's the quickest outfield in the tournament so there's value for shots. A lot of cracks, looks very Australian in nature, it's not going to hurt the batters much. After dark, it turns more for the spinners. South Africa have already played here against Afghanistan so that gives them an advantage. It looks like a very good surface for batting, reckon Shaun Pollock and Ramiz Raja.

England have been found wanting in the tournament and already stand eliminated. With Buttler having stepped down from England white-ball captaincy, things look gloomy for them. Today will mark Buttler’s last game as England captain. Their lack of discipline in bowling is the major issue that led to their losses – first against Australia and then against Afghanistan. They scored a mammoth 351 against Australia. But, the Aussies aced the run-chase to perfection, recording the highest successful run-chase in Champions Trophy history with consummate ease. Against Afghanistan, the Englishmen were bossing the game initially with their seamers flourishing but come the middle overs and the death overs, their bowlers lost the plot. They came close in the run-chase but the Afghanis held their nerves when it mattered the most.

Match Details

When: March 1, 2025; 14:00 Local, 11:00 SAT, 14:30 IST

Where: National Stadium, Karachi

What to expect: Hot and dry. And flat, although not as flat as Lahore