ENG v PAK, 1st ODI Review: England beat Pakistan by 44 runs

Published - 25 Aug 2016, 12:32 IST | Updated - 25 Aug 2016, 12:32 IST

2 Min Read

England continued the aggressive brand of cricket they have opted for in limited overs cricket ever since they crashed out of the World Cup 2015, after the loss to Bangladesh. After a hard-fought 2-2 Test series against Pakistan, the hosts started the ODI series on a high with a 44-run win (Duckworth-Lewis Method), while chasing 261 for victory at Southampton on Wednesday.

Umar Gul got rid of the English opener Alex Hales early in the match, they cruised through comfortably as Jason Roy and Joe Root applied themselves to stay at the crease and find runs quite comfortably. Both the batsmen went on to score half-centuries to ensure a pressure-free chase. After the first delay, the target for England was revised down to 252.

Later it was rerevised to a DLS par score of 149, which ensured England start the series with a 1-0 lead. This is England’s 9th win out of the last 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Pakistan. Their only loss came in Abu Dhabi last year which was also Pakistan’s last win against a team from the top 10 ODI rankings.

The target of 261 was never going to be enough at Southampton, which had an average first innings total of 312 since 2012, before this match. All the teams have posted a target in excess of 285 at this venue since 2012, but Pakistan managed just 260.

Also read – England v Pakistan 1st ODI – Statistical Highlights

It was the visiting skipper who won the toss and elected to bat first. Mark Wood, who made his comeback into the England squad impressed with his pace and line of attack. He was pulled for a couple of boundaries in his first over by Sharjeel Khan but Wood accounted for Sharjeel in his 3rd over when a 91mph short pitch delivery took the top-edge to the wicket-keeper. The batsman reviewed, but the Snicko confirmed the edge.

One of the positives in the batting line-up for the visitors was the return to form of their skipper Azhar Ali, who anchored the innings, which helped Pakistan post a score of 260. Azhar shared a 65-run partnership with Sarfraz Ahmed and a 61-run partnership with Babar Azam, which was the backbone of the innings.

Babar Azam looked good for his 40 before being trapped leg-before-wicket by Adil Rashid, which was a poor decision from umpire Simon Fry as replays revealed a clear inside edge, but Sharjeel had already unsuccessfully used the only available review for Pakistan. Sarfraz scored a 58-ball 55 but was dismissed by Chris Woakes at a crucial point the innings.

Also read – Twitter Reactions: Roy-Root blistering partnership lays foundation for England chase

The 20-minute interruption after the 20th over, saw Pakistan lose their way as Sarfraz and Shoaib Malik chipped the ball to mid-off. And the all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim struggled to raise the tempo of the innings towards the end. Azhar, who was dropped twice on 9, top-scored in the innings with 82 runs from 110 deliveries.

Adil Rashid claimed 2 wickets, whereas Chris Woakes, Wood, Liam Plunkett and Root bagged one wicket each. Root and Roy added 89 runs for the second wicket, the biggest partnership of the match. Roy stepped out and lofted Nawaz straight down the ground, but Babar Azam judged a running superbly well around the boundary ropes.

Joe Root was dismissed after adding 61 runs and taking the England total past the 150-mark. However, the England skipper Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes played sensibly from there on to make sure they were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score. When the match ended, England was at 194 for 3 from 34.3 overs, way ahead of the par score with Morgan on 33 from 49 deliveries and a 20-ball 15 from the all-rounder Ben Stokes. Umar Gul and Nawaz were the only wicket-takers for Pakistan.