The five-match one-day series assumes great significance for both England and Pakistan. While England desperately need to make amends for their 0-5 thrashing at the hands of Sri Lanka recently, Pakistan have a bit of catching up to do with their old rivals, as their head-to-head record indicates. Both teams have better records chasing a target, which is more prominent in Pakistan's case. They have won six out of 14 games batting second, as opposed to three out of 12 batting first. As far as the toss is concerned, Pakistan have won only two out of eight matches in which they have opted to bat first. The absence of a specialist spinner in the England squad may seem like a gamble, but the numbers back this move. Part of the reason for Pakistan's dismal record in England is the fact that they have struggled against the moving ball, and the comparison of wickets taken by the fast/medium-fast bowlers and the spinners is lopsided. In 26 ODIs in England, the seamers have accounted for 140 Pakistani wickets, while the spinners have just 29.
