CWC 2019: ENG vs PAK Review – Mercurial Pakistan down hosts in thrilling upset
“Game on!” Birthday boy Wasim Akram exclaimed on air as centurion Jos Buttler departed in the 45th over, with England still needing 61 runs off 33 balls. Pakistan knew they had half the game in their bag as the green flags at Trent Bridge erupted in joy. From a mauling of 105 all-out to a gigantic 348 on the same pitch, from turning the short-ball demons into a blessing, only Pakistan could’ve scripted a turnaround like that. It was their day. And they’ve waited long enough.
Openers stand tall
It looked like Sarfaraz & co. had done their homework after their short-ball fiasco against the West Indies. They couldn’t risk not doing it against giants like England. Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman got off to a blazing start, countering every attack from the England bowlers. The duo put up Pakistan’s best 10-over Powerplay score (69/0) since the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against India. Fakhar, in particular, looked in ominous touch.
The Mo-magic!
Unfortunately for England, none of their pacers could crack open the Pakistani innings till the 14th over. Even Jofra Archer appeared to be ineffective, so much so that England wasted a review for an LBW off his bowling in the 8th over. With the pacers not yielding any results and two left-handers at the crease, captain Eoin Morgan finally turned to Moeen Ali to dismiss both openers. And it worked.
Babar-Hafeez steady ship
It was down to Pakistan’s main man once again. Pakistan needed Babar Azam to bat deep if they were to consolidate their openers’ solid start. And he did, alongside the experienced Mohammad Hafeez who announced his intentions with a first-ball boundary. That England weren’t too impressive in the field helped Pakistan’s cause further. Hafeez went on to score a match-defining 84 after being reprieved. Babar made a fine 63 before Moeen turned up to complete his top-order demolition.
By the time England’s pacers did turn up, Pakistan were already eyeing a 300-plus total. The fact that there were only two single-digit scores in Pakistan’s batting line-up gave a fair account of their performance.
England under the pump
Firm favourites England had a pretty ordinary day after winning the toss and electing to field. Their pace bowlers were ineffective against the Pakistani openers, their fielding was sloppy and they let Pakistan get away with too many runs. Even their Superman, Jofra Archer couldn’t save them.
No matter how much England love chasing, the pressure of a World Cup game is something else. The hosts were riding on the flamboyance of their dashing openers. Having lost both Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow inside the first powerplay, they were already on the backfoot.
Their most consistent batsman, Joe Root, struck a fine 107. When your team bats as deep as No.8 and 9, there’s less reason to worry. But even a Root special wasn’t enough. Neither was a Buttler masterclass. Pakistan had their tail up right from ball one, even as their seniormost bowler Wahab Riaz got smacked all around the park. He returned with 3 wickets against his name. Pakistan weren’t going home without a fight. Not today.
Turning Point
Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer are arguably two of England’s biggest game-changers. The former had almost taken his team over the line with a superb hundred. The latter could’ve finished things at the end. Luckily for Pakistan, Mohammad Amir ensured the pressure was back on England. He first got rid of Buttler with an off-cutter that tricked the batsman. Then, he bowled a slower one that made Archer hole out.
Perhaps, this was Pakistan’s way of closing out the holy month of Ramadan. Their New Moon has risen in the UK.
