Babar, Rizwan power Pakistan to a thumping win

Babar Azam’s second T20I hundred (110* off 66, 11 fours and 5 sixes) came in a record stand with Mohammad Rizwan (88* off 51, 5 fours and 4 sixes) as Pakistan prevailed in a high-scoring encounter at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday (September 22) in the second T20I to square the series against England. Moeen Ali’s 23-ball fifty headlined a collective batting show from England as they posted an imposing 199 for 5. But the hosts sprinted to the target, winning with three deliveries to spare thanks to the Babar-Rizwan stand, which was the first double century partnership for Pakistan who became the first team to achieve success in a 200-run chase with all wickets intact.

Pakistan got off to a good start in the chase as the openers raised a half-century stand inside the powerplay. Rizwan set the tone with two fours in the opening over off David Willey while Babar struck two fours off Curran and a boundary off Luke Wood after a slow start. Liam Dawson, coming in for Richard Gleeson, started with an economical over and should have also picked up the wicket of Rizwan but for a back-pedalling Hales to put down the catch in the sixth over. Rizwan went on to hit a six off the spinner, clearing the fence for the second time inside the first six having played a pick-up shot off Willey earlier for a maximum. By the time the powerplay ended, Babar had struck five fours while Rizwan had scored two fours apart from the sixes as Pakistan raced to 59/0.

In comparison to England at the halfway stage of the innings, Pakistan were seven ahead and had all their wickets intact. Rizwan was also reprieved by a stumping chance gone a begging as Salt failed to grab the ball when Adil Rashid went past the outside edge. Rizwan went on to bring up a 30-ball fifty – his 18th T20I half-century – while Babar, who was on 38 off 31 at that stage, got to fifty off 39 deliveries. Both batters then dealt in sixes, making most of the conditions that had improved for the batters in the second innings, as they took Pakistan to 151/0 after 15 overs, bringing down the equation to 48 off 30.

When Babar had reached his fifty in the 12th over, Rizwan had scored three more runs than the Pakistan skipper. But it was a Babar show after that as he raced past his opening partner. Babar took only 22 deliveries from 50-100, blasting four sixes and three fours in his second fifty as he became the first Pakistan player to score two centuries in T20Is. Pakistan needed 20 off the last two overs and they coasted to the target, with Babar adding two more fours to his tally, including the winning four, while Rizwan also struck a boundary.

Alex Hales powered England’s positive start while Phil Salt also managed a couple of boundaries. Barring a three-run opening over from Mohammad Hasnain – who replaced Naseem Shah – England found the fence in every other over in the powerplay. There were a couple of sixes too – with Salt just about clearing the long-off boundary in a Mohammad Nawaz over while Hales edged a Hasnain delivery over the third-man fence. Hales and Salt weren’t always in control of their shots but they managed four fours between them in a quick-fire 42-run stand. Pakistan, however, came back well in the final over of the powerplay as Hales was bowled by Shahnawaz Dahani attempting a pull while Dawid Malan was bowled around his legs. Ben Duckett ended the over with a four as England managed 48/2 in the first six overs.

On a wicket that was on the slower side, with balls keeping low, Pakistan tried to strangle the England batters with spin at both ends. But Duckett was well-equipped to handle them, bringing out the sweeps, reverse-sweep and scoop to ensure regular boundaries. Salt, at the other end, slowed down, not adding to his boundary count after the powerplay. He eventually fell to Haris Rauf, cleaned up for a 27-ball 30. Duckett extended his tally of fours to seven before becoming Nawaz’s only wicket as he deflected a sweep onto the stumps ending a fine 22-ball knock for 43 runs. Harry Brook hit a six off Dahani while Moeen took the attack to Usman Qadir, scoring a four and two sixes in the 15th as England collected 85 runs at a scoring rate of more than 9 in the middle overs.

Pakistan ended up conceding 66 runs in the last five overs. Hasnain was taken for 18 runs in the 16th over which included a four apiece for Moeen and Brook, with the latter also going inside out over extra cover for a six. Brook also top-edged a Rauf delivery over fine leg for another maximum before an attempted reverse scoop led to his downfall. Moeen struck two fours off Dahani on either side of a catch put down by Kushdil Shah in the 18th over while Sam Curran showcased some cheeky shot-making walking across to a Rauf delivery and lapping it over short fine leg for a four. Rauf, though, gave away only 30 runs off his four overs to finish as the most economical of the Pakistan bowlers but the rest weren’t as effective. Hasnain was the most expensive of the lot, conceding 51 runs – including 19 in the final over – as Moeen finished off the innings with two sixes to get to his sixth T20I fifty, which ended up in a losing cause.

Brief scores:

England 199/5 in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 55*, Ben Duckett 43; Haris Rauf 2-30) lost to Pakistan 203/0 in 19.3 overs (Babar Azam 110*, Mohammad Rizwan 88*) by 10 wickets.

(Cricbuzz)