Nottingham: Pakistan produced a much improved display to bring their World Cup campaign back on track with a 14-run win over England, despite centuries by Joe Root (107, 104b, 10×4, 1×6) and Jos Buttler (103, 76b, 9×4, 2×6) here at Trent Bridge, Monday.
Chasing 349 runs for victory, England were going great guns till the 38th over with both Root and Buttler at crease. However, Root’s dismissal off the bowling of Shadab Khan (2/63) in the next over changed things around as wickets started falling at regular intervals.
There was still a glimmer of hope till the time Buttler was there, but his dismissal off Wahab Riaz (3/87) shut things down completely. The English batting was also a complete failure baring Root and Buttler, with the next highest score being 32 made by Jonny Bairstow.
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez (84, 62b, 8×4, 2×6) hit a brilliant half century as a vastly improved batting display from Pakistan saw them post 348/8.
Hafeez, who was dropped on 14 by Jason Roy at mid-off, off the bowling of Adil Rashid (0/43) made most use of the reprive as the right-hander tormented the English bowlers to all over the park.
With Babar Azam (63, 66b, 4×4, 1×6) and Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (55, 44b, 5×4) also making fifties, this was a major turnaround from a Pakistan side who collapsed to 105 all out in a seven-wicket defeat by the West Indies in their World Cup opener at the same ground Friday.
Pakistan were undone by a barrage of bouncers against the West Indies and England, unsurprisingly, deployed similar tactics after captain Eoin Morgan won the toss, with their attack featuring recalled fast bowler Mark Wood (2/53).
But Pakistan coped well on a ground where England had twice set a world record for the highest ODI total – 444/3 against Pakistan in 2016 and last year’s 481/6 against Australia.
Yet having failed to defend a score of 340 against England – the world’s top-ranked ODI side – at Trent Bridge last month, the worry for Pakistan was that they may not have put enough runs on the board.
For all the talk about England’s quicks, it was off-spinner Moeen Ali (3/50) who took the first three wickets Monday. Fast bowler Jofra Archer’s 10 wicketless overs cost 79 runs while Chris Woakes (3/71), who equalled the record of four catches by an outfielder in a World Cup innings, also went expensive.
Tournament favourites England were surprisingly sloppy with their ground fielding. Pakistan, who have lost their past 11 completed ODIs, including a 0-4 series defeat to England, went on the attack from the start, with Fakhar Zaman (36) and Imam-ul-Haq (44) giving their side early momentum.
But a stand of 82 ended when Fakhar was stumped by Jos Buttler off Moeen. Moeen dismissed Imam to too when the left-hander lofted only for Woakes, running round from long-off, to hold an excellent diving catch.
The normally mild-mannered Woakes turned to the crowd and cupped his ears in what appeared to be a response to barracking from spectators.
Babar completed a run-a-ball fifty before he too fell to the Moeen-Woakes combination while Hafeez, cashing in on his reprieve, hit a six and four off successive balls from leg-spinner Rashid on his way to a 39-ball fifty.
Hafeez lofted a loose legside delivery from Wood for six to go into the 80s, only to fall when he drove a catch to Woakes at long-off.
Brief scores: Pakistan 348/8 (Md Hafeez 84, Babar Azam 63; Moeen Ali 3/50) beat England 334/9 (Joe Root 107, Jos Buttler 103; Wahab Riaz 3/82) by 14 runs.
