- Shadab Khan’s first international strike leads Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win over England. Shadab Khan reached an unbeaten century and added a record 89 runs for the tenth wicket with Haris Rauf to seal a hard-to-believe one-wicket win at the Gaddafi Stadium.
- Shadab khan and Haris Rauf.
- (SOURCE: Tmad) Shadab Khan delivered one of the most extraordinary innings in recent ODI history, scoring an unbeaten century to lead Pakistan to a hard-to-believe one-wicket victory over England at the Gaddafi Stadium and book their place in the Tri-Series final.
Shadab Khan’s first international strike leads Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win over England. Shadab Khan reached an unbeaten century and added a record 89 runs for the tenth wicket with Haris Rauf to seal a hard-to-believe one-wicket win at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Shadab khan and Haris Rauf. (SOURCE: Tmad) Shadab Khan delivered one of the most extraordinary innings in recent ODI history, scoring an unbeaten century to lead Pakistan to a hard-to-believe one-wicket victory over England at the Gaddafi Stadium and book their place in the Tri-Series final. With Pakistan reduced to 154 for 9 and the game seemingly over, Shadab and Haris Rauf managed an uninterrupted 89 runs for the tenth wicket, a record partnership in successful ODI run chases, surpassing England’s total of 241.
The victory came just days after England failed to defend 429 runs in the same series, and this time they failed to defend a modest target in even more dramatic fashion. Rauf finished unbeaten on 7 off 19 balls, but the effort was as close to a one-man show as the game allows, with Shadab doing the bulk of the scoring throughout the partnership. England seemed to have done enough.
By the time the ninth goal was scored, the packed Gaddafi Stadium was largely full and most fans headed for the exits, convinced the game was over. What followed will long be remembered by Pakistan cricket. How did Shadab Khan achieve this impossible goal?
When Pakistan looked set for victory on 242, the target seemed achievable, but England’s bowlers demolished the top spot with precision. Gus Atkinson removed the struggling Fakhar Zaman early and debutant Henry Crocombe marked his debut by dismissing Saim Ayub. Babar Azam visited the packed Gaddafi Stadium No. 1.
3 and greeted Atkinson with a royal straight drive for four, only for the pacer to respond by sending a back through bat and pad to bring down the stump. After a brief cameo from Saad Baig, Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz tried to rebuild but the latter was denied by Harry Brook ahead of Liam Dawson. Jamie Overton then targeted Arafat Minhas around the wicket with Joe Root stationed between short leg and short fine leg and Minhas picked him perfectly to leave Pakistan at 103 for 6.
Overton and Dawson continued to put pressure on the remaining recognized batsmen and Salman eventually fell trying to hit Dawson to the ground as Pakistan looked for the run. Shadab began to strike freely, seemingly resigned to heavy defeat, but the boundaries continued to expand. England were just one throw away from victory for 80 balls in a row, but that ball never arrived.
The crucial moment came with Shadab making 97 after he defeated Atkinson in Imran Khan’s stand. He missed a full right throw that hit his front pad, and he angrily hit the ground with his bat before the umpire even raised his finger. Root and the England players gathered around him in sympathy.
However, UltraEdge detected a slight inside edge and Shadab survived. Pakistan needed 21 more runs but the mood had completely changed. England prepared the field for the last ball of the 47th over and needed nine runs to force Rauf back into bat.
Shadab responded by bowling Atkinson to mid-off for the sixth time. On the first delivery of the 48th over, Crocombe bowled hard and Rauf, energized after an earlier conflict with Will Jacks that had required Root’s intervention, sent the ball back hard. Crocombe reached out but couldn’t hold it and the ball raced to the fence to complete one of the most remarkable victories in Pakistan’s ODI history.
How did England’s innings set up the contest? Pakistan, dressed in pink to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Day, won their first toss of the series and elected to bowl. Shaheen Shah Afridi was immediately dangerous, dismissing the in-form Tom Banton with a tame scoop to cover the first over, a wicket that also lifted Afridi’s 150th ODI scalp.
Root fell in Afridi’s next over, hitting backwards where Saim Ayub held a low, crisp catch. Brook was then awkwardly taken out, launched into a risky second run against the strong arm of Razaullah and was caught well outside his crease. Shortly afterwards, Jordan Cox got the better of Afridi for the first time, leaving England trailing by 53 points and in serious trouble.
Ben Duckett and Sam Curran steadied the innings with a score of 93 for the fifth wicket. Afridi returned to break the partnership, targeting Curran with short deliveries until the all-rounder got out. Duckett continued to resist and increased his century with a ground run, although Minhas, who had been held back until the 29th over, next sent him back to Salman with a top-edge looper.
Also Read: Shaheen Afridi becomes Pakistan’s fastest pacer, collects 150 ODI wickets. Minhas also quickly eliminated Overton while Razaullah sent Dawson away. Atkinson contributed a final wicket stand of 40 runs, taking England’s total to 241, a score that looked like it could prove crucial. In the end, it was Shadab and Rauf’s record tenth wicket that ensured it wasn’t enough.
England, who sit bottom of the Tri-Series table after three straight defeats, now face an extremely difficult path to reaching the final.
