Cricket Highlights, 22 Sep: PAK vs ENG (2nd T20I)

PAK vs ENG (2nd T20I) – Highlights

Pakistan got a dominating win chasing the massive target of 200 runs set by England. With a record pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, they secured a remarkable 10-wicket win with three balls in hand. With this victory, Pakistan returned to the series with a 1-1 tie, which features 7 T20I matches.

Batting first in the second T20I of the series in Karachi on Thursday, England scored 199 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.

England got off to a good start after winning the toss and batting first. Two openers Philip Salt and Alex Hales picked up 42 runs in 5 overs, England was on the way to getting a good base. However, Shahnawaz Dahani’s two balls in a row changed the picture. Alex Hales, who had scored a fifty in the previous match, was bowled out for 26 off 21 balls, and Dawid Malan returned for no runs in the next ball.

Ben Duckett played Pakistan’s two spinners Usman Qadir and Mohammad Nawaz well to increase the run rate. The left-handed batsman scored 37 runs off 18 balls in the deliveries of these two spinners while he scored 43 runs from 22 balls in the innings. His sweep and the reverse sweep were effective on such wickets. Harry Brook then scored 31 runs off 19 balls.

However, the main achievement behind taking England to 199 was the captain Moeen Ali’s knock. Khushdil Shah dropped his easy catch for 32 runs, then Moeen played an unbeaten innings of 55 runs off 23 balls. For Pakistan, Shahnawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf took 2 wickets each and Mohammad Nawaz took 1 wicket. All five England batsmen were bowled out.

England’s score of 199 seemed more than enough on a slow, low wicket in Karachi. However, Babar and Rizwan made a strong foundation for the team’s victory by scoring 87 runs in the first 10 overs. England was still ahead, especially when Pakistan’s middle order has also been in question recently. But Babar & Rizwan had some different plans on their minds.

Babar hit Luke Wood for his first six of the innings in the 11th over, after which they continued to hit boundaries at regular intervals. Babar and Rizwan’s confidence grew gradually when the ball began to skid under the floodlights. Rizwan got life in between 23 and 32 runs, England missed the opportunity to break the pair.

The two, however, never looked back. Rizwan completed his fifty in 30 balls and Babar in 39 balls. However, the Pakistan captain picked up the speed after the fifty and completed his century in 62 balls. It means that he played only 23 balls to go from fifty to century.

Babar and Rizwan also took on one of the best spinners of the time, Adil Rashid, the leg spinner gave 34 runs in 3 overs. Moeen came to bowl an over and gave 21 runs. Babar and Rizwan, both were excellent on the front leg side and square, they scored most of the runs through that area.

Then in the 18th over of the innings, Babar Azam roared with a leap and reached the non-strike side of the wicket by pushing Sam Curran’s ball to the off side. A look of relief appeared on his face. Feckless Babar in the Asia Cup responded to everything with a brilliant century against England. The Pakistan captain reached three figures on that shot off Curran.

Babar’s record century and his unbroken 203-run opening partnership with Mohammad Rizwan put Pakistan on the brink of victory. Babar-Rizwan’s run chase is now the highest in T20Is. The previous record was held by both of them, last year against South Africa they made an unbroken partnership of 197 runs. It is also a record run chase against England.

Besides, Babar became the first Pakistan batsman to score multiple T20I centuries. He eventually played an unbeaten innings of 110 runs off 66 balls, which included 11 fours and 5 sixes. On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten with 88 runs off 51 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes. Today, these two teams will meet at the same time and same venue in the 3rd match of the series.

PAK vs ENG Scoreboard

England – 199/5 (20.0)

Pakistan – 203/0 (19.3)

Result – Pakistan won by 10 wickets

Player of the match – Babar Azam

PAK vs ENG Playing XIs