Mohammad Rizwan’s explosive half-century and pacer Haris Rauf’s fiery spell helped Pakistan clinch a thrilling three-run win over England in the fourth T20I at Karachi on Sunday.
With this victory, Pakistan has levelled the seven-match T20I series 2-2. In the first innings, Pakistan posted 166/4 in their 20 overs. Rizwan’s crafty 88 off 67 balls powered his side to a modest total. Pacer Reece Topley impressed with his spell of 2/37.
Chasing 167, England was kept in the hunt by knocks from the likes of Harry Brook (34), Liam Dawson (34) and Ben Duckett (33), but wickets fell at regular intervals. The visitors fell short by just three runs in a thriller after being bundled out for 163 in 19.2 overs. Rauf (3/32) and Mohammad Hasnain (3/35) produced match-winning spells for Pakistan.
Chasing 167, Hasnain’s pace and Mohammad Nawaz’s spin formed a cocktail that dismantled English top order. Phil Salt (8), Alex Hales (5) and Will Jacks (0) were back in pavilion within the space of just 2 overs and 14 runs on the board.
Duckett and Brook, heroes from the last match, took the chase further with a lot of care and some audacious hits. By the end of powerplay in six overs, England seemed to be in recovery mode at 50/3, with Brook (9*) and Duckett (27*) at the crease.
Spinner Nawaz delivered the hosts a key breakthrough by sending back Duckett for 33 off 24 balls. England was at 4/57.
Skipper Moeen Ali was next up on the crease. He and Brook feasted on spin, scoring some big runs off it. The partnership fell just one run short of reaching the 50-run mark after Nawaz produced a brilliant delivery that crashed into Ali’s stumps while he attempted to hit over the leg side. Ali was back in the pavilion for 29 off 29 balls. Half the side was back in the hut for 106 runs.
Following this, pacers Mohammad Wasim and Rauf solidified Pakistan’s grip in the match by dismissing Brook (34 off 29) and David Willey (11 off 10). England was at 7/130.
But it was Liam Dawson who turned the table in favour of England. He thrashed Hasnain mercilessly for 24 runs in the 18th over, bringing down the equation to nine runs in two overs.
Rauf’s 19th over marked Pakistan’s comeback in the match as he sent back Dawson (34 off 17 balls) and debutant Olly Stone (0), increasing his wicket tally in the match to three. England was nine down at 163 runs.
England needed just four runs in the final over, but Topley was run out for nought by Shan Masood. Pakistan was able to steal a memorable win just when things looked terrible for them.
Rauf (3/32) and Hasnain (3/35) lead the Pakistani pace, delivering timely wickets. Wasim and Nawaz also took one wicket each.
Earlier, put to bat first by England, Pakistan was off to an amazing start. Openers Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam once again utilised power-play well, bringing up fifty runs without losing a wicket.
The 97-run stand between two was broken by Dawson as he sent back Azam for 36 off 28 balls.
Then Shan Masood and Rizwan pushed the score further, but the run flow slowed down. Masood was trapped lbw by Willey for 21 off 19 balls. Pakistan stood at 149/2. Pacer Topley went on to dismiss Khushdil Shah (2) and Rizwan (88). Pakistan’s innings were restricted to a score of just 166/4 in their 20 overs thanks to some impressive bowling by visitors in the second half.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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