Pakistan's recent T20 form tells the story of a side finding rhythm at home, though not without the odd stutter. They've won six of their last eight matches on familiar wickets, including a first-match triumph over
Australia in this very series just two days ago. That 22-run victory in Lahore wasn't emphatic, but it was comfortable enough—a middle-order contribution, disciplined bowling, and the kind of home-ground assurance that tends to compound through a series.
Australia, by contrast, arrive with Test cricket still in their limbs. The Ashes wrapped up barely a month ago, and while they scraped past
Pakistan in that opening T20, their white-ball record over the past few months has been patchy—losses to
Pakistan away, losses to other sides at home. What stands out to me is how Test-heavy their schedule has been. There's a mental gear change required in T20 cricket, a different tempo entirely, and
Australia haven't quite settled into it yet.
Pakistan's bowling looks sharp. They've been able to defend modest totals through variety and nous, particularly in the middle overs where
Australia have tended to lose momentum. The batting, though, remains uneven—capable of flourishing one day, tentative the next. Still, at home, with the crowd behind them and conditions they've mastered, that inconsistency matters less.
Australia's strength lies in experience, in players who've won tight games before, but they've also been caught out by subcontinental pitches that require patience they don't always possess.
If
Pakistan maintain the discipline they showed in the opener and the seamers continue to extract enough from the surface, they're the more likely side to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Australia can win this, certainly, but they'll need to rediscover a fluency that's been absent for weeks. The balance tips toward the hosts, not overwhelmingly, but enough.
