While activities such as online casino games are all the rage these days, cricket fans enjoyed a memorable game between two solid teams in Karachi. In yet another exciting match in Karachi, England came out on top thanks to a century stand between Harry Brook and Ben Duckett before Mark Wood’s savage return to the team’s colors helped sink Pakistan’s response.
The highest score Pakistan has ever given up in a T20I was 221 for 3, while their worst loss margin—63 runs—came against England.
Brook And Duckett Blowing Pakistani Pacers Away
A record fourth-wicket partnership for England in T20Is was put together by Brook and Duckett, who scored their first T20I fifties. The duo defied their relative inexperience at this level by combining for 139 runs off of only 69 deliveries.
With a strike rate of 231.42, Brook’s form was especially dazzling as he smashed eight fours and five sixes to end unbeaten on 81 from only 35 deliveries. With an unbeaten 70 from 42, Duckett played his finest innings while wearing the England jersey.
Pakistan’s Opening Pair Neutralized Early On
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were the leading players for Pakistan as they attempted what would have been a record chase after reeling in 200+ without even breaking a sweat the night before. However, two of England’s three changes, Wood and Topley, removed both openers for single-digit scores, and Pakistan was restricted to a measly 28 for 4 in the last over of the powerplay.
Shan Masood and Khushdil Shah pulled together a 62-run partnership for the fifth wicket to save the game from being a slaughter, and Masood went on to hit his first T20I half-century. However, Adil Rashid struck twice, and Wood ended with 3 for 24, and England easily won to retake the series lead.
Mesmerizing Wood
A boisterous audience watched in anticipation as Babar and Rizwan went out together, just 24 hours after the record, unbroken 203-run opening stand that had leveled the series, even though England piled up the runs after being inserted. Thoughts of a comeback were swiftly dashed as England’s revamped attack destroyed Pakistan’s best batters.
The opening cut was the deepest because Wood started accelerating the tempo right away to a level that none of his countrymen could equal. With 147kph of heat on the ball, Babar was prompted to open up his shoulders by his fourth delivery, a back of a length in the channel outside off.
However, Pakistan’s batting ace could only manage an edge that flew down to deep third, where Topley calmly collected a head-high catch. Babar was out, and the National Stadium was silent.
In the next over, Topley removed Rizwan with a slower delivery that pinged Rizwan’s leg stump, and a ball after, Wood got his second wicket when Haider Ali attempted to slice another rocket of a ball to square leg.
A spell in which Wood was clocked at 156.2kph, the value of his extra gas being rarely more explicit, immediately dispelled any doubts that he could still be a potent weapon at the T20 World Cup. Wood’s last senior appearance in any format came during the Antigua Test in March, his summer being wrecked by two elbow operations.
Masood Attempted A Comeback In Vain
Masood has got to take a risk wherever he can find space since Babar and Rizwan are firmly established at the top of the order. The 32-year-old has struggled to adjust to the demands of trying to secure a spot in Pakistan’s constantly shifting middle-order lineup, where the openers’ methodical run-plundering frequently necessitates those who come after to kick-off right away. He made seven off seven on debut, batting at No. 4 in the first T20I.
Masood’s performance on this particular occasion proved he had the resources to endure, even if it may have come in a losing cause. He played freely against England’s two spinners, outscoring both of his partners, Khushdil and Mohammad Nawaz, during successive 50-plus-run partnerships that saved Pakistan from humiliation. He reached 50 off 28 balls with a six off Moeen Ali.
While Pakistan did register a mesmerizing win over their former colonizers in the previous game, much thanks to a beautiful 203-run partnership between their finest batters, this game was more of a reality check for the ones in green. One can only hope they can pull themselves together after this, as England enjoy a much-deserved win.
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