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ICC World Cup 2019: Pakistan punch a hole in England’s armour
Pakistan broke their 11-match losing streak in One-Day International cricket as they defeated England by 14 runs after registering their highest World Cup score of 348 runs at Trent Bridge on Monday.
Eleven matches of three series in 124 days across three different continents— that’s how long Pakistan have taken to rediscover their mojo. Against World Cup favourites, the No 1 side in the world and at a bastion that has witnessed the most partisan of victories for the hosts, Pakistan have brought this World Cup to a head.
For only reasons they know, England didn’t show up as the top side. Eoin Morgan aiming at the wrong end, Jason Roy missing the simplest catch after getting all the time in the world, needless overthrows— everything pointed at how this was no bilateral series game, but a World Cup match that doesn’t care for statistics. The bowling wasn’t half as effective as it was against South Africa. Conceding 11 wides only made them look worse. And what do you say when two set centurions get dismissed in the exact fashion, caught in the same third man region?
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019
Was all the talk of ripping pace and chin music a decoy? Probably. Spinners inflicted the bulk of damage upfront before Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Amir made the ball cut and reverse. But all that wouldn’t have been possible had Pakistan not come out determined to bat their quota of overs. An opening act of 82 runs was just the platform needed for Pakistan to become more ambitious. When Babar Azam too started playing sensibly, England began erring. Out then came Mohd Hafeez, dropped in the last game in what is probably his last World Cup.
Banned thrice from bowling his off-spin, Hafeez has been both a pervasive presence as well an empty promise in the Pakistan dressing room. A thumb fracture in only the second match of the Pakistan Super League this year cast serious doubt on his availability for the World Cup. That was a blow for Lahore Qalanadars who had brought him in as captain to reverse a miserable show in the two previous editions. He insisted on staying with the team but was ultimately forced to go for rehab. Come the series against England and Hafeez wasn’t considered an automatic choice. He played two ODIs, scored 0 and 59, didn’t take any wickets and again went off the radar.
His name again resurfaced after Pakistan’s capitulation on Friday. On Monday, Hafeez chose to be the one who tempered the flow with both bat and ball. Partnerships of 88 and 80 were raised under his supervision, without much risk, and suddenly Pakistan were looking at the prospect of reaching more than 375. Decent figures of Moeen Ali and Mark Wood—both averaging under six —however nipped that dream. Still, Pakistan finished with 96 runs in the last 10 overs, losing five wickets. Having folded for 105 against West Indies, they would have taken this score any day.
If successful, this was to be the highest World Cup chase ever. Maybe that got to England, who had crossed 350 thrice against Pakistan last month. Apart from playing smart cricket, Pakistan also tried to psyche the English. You could sense it when Hafeez stopped in his tracks and looked back to check if Ben Stokes’ bat was grounded inside. They committed unpardonable mistakes too. Dropping Root on one in the sixth over was a mistake that Pakistan were almost made to pay for. Then towards the end, Sarafaraz Ahmed missed Moeen Ali’s stumping off Shadab Khan.
But this was a day England had erred more than Pakistan. That lost them this match. Root and Jos Buttler scored centuries but no other batsman crossed 40. After Root’s horrible judgement against Shadab’s spin, Buttler was expected to stay put till the end. Instead, he top-edged Amir’s off-cutter to Riaz at short third man. Ali’s IPL experience came to nought too as Riaz undid him with a slower bouncer. Riaz was behind this, capping his performance by deftly bowling the last over where he conceded 10 when England needed 25. For two months now Pakistan have tried to win in England, and finally they did when least expected.
