Pakistan v England 3rd ODI: 5 Talking Points

Pakistan v England 3^rd ODI: 5 Talking Points: After a thrilling 2^nd ODI where England got the upper hand and leveled the series 1-1 they have now taken a lead in the series now and are 2-1 ahead. As it happened, wickets kept falling at regular intervals for Pakistan, they could just set a target of 209 and England capitalized it really well and won the match comprehensively by 6 wickets and with 9 overs to spare. There were some exciting individual performances that eventually determined course of the game.

1. Pakistan batting collapse from 132/2 to 208 all out:

After a 45-run opening stand by Azhar Ali and Baba Azam, Mohammad Hafeez got the team two more 40-run partnerships but after that the team just collapsed till a brilliant innings lower down the order by Wahab Riaz. Pakistan failed to capitalize a good start and gave the match away to England. Pakistan floundered on a batting pitch where 208 wasn’t a defendable total. Any team involved in 3 run outs will find it difficult to come back in the innings.

2. Chris Woakes’ 4-wicket haul:

Chris Woakes probably had a strategy to bowl short and it worked out for him well. First he broke the opening partnership when he got Baba Azam out with a well directed bouncer and the batsman gave a catch to backward square leg in an attempt to pull. Then he picked up Iftikhar Ahmed in a similar fashion when the striker mistimed a pull again. He also sent the debutant Zafar Gohar for 15 runs when he misjudged the bouncer and gave a simple catch to Jos Buttler trying to pull. He finally ended the innings with a brilliant Yorker and shattering the timber and got the wicket of Mohammed Irfan. He finished his innings with amazing figures of 4/40 and with consecutive four wicket hauls, he is become a bowler to watch out for.

3. Wahab Riaz’s cameo with the bat:

It was Wahab Riaz supported by Zafar Gohar down the order who put up some resistance and brought Pakistan to a score of 208 without whose contributions the innings might’ve closed before the 150-run mark. If Wahab Riaz hadn’t scored those valuable 33 of just 35 balls, it would’ve been a cakewalk for the English side to come and chase the target on a solid batting wicket. Also he was involved in a humorous exchange with the umpire where he was judged out leg before wicket twice in consecutive deliveries of the last over and both the times he asked for a referral and got the decisions overturned. Sadly he didn’t get any rewards while bowling unlike the last ODI where he picked up three wickets, ironically bowling being his area of expertise.

4. Buttler and Taylor’s 117 run stand:

Jos Buttler came into bat when his team was struggling at 93/4. He also had to prove himself to the critics as he had been going through a lean patch. Both Buttler and Taylor had to consolidate the innings to deny Pakistan a win. They did the same thing they were expected to do and delivered. James Taylor scored 67 runs in just 69 balls including 6 fours and 2 sixes while Jos Buttler missed out on a much deserved half century with 49 runs in 50 balls including 2 fours and one six of the last ball of the innings to ensure England a 2-1 lead in the series.

5. Taylor’s MoM performance:

James Taylor was in good form coming into the game, having already scored a half-century in the 1^st ODI and remaining unbeaten as England won the second match. But he had to face some good bowling and the pressure of having the weight on his shoulders to win the game for his team when he walked out. Taylor kept his calm and stitched a match-winning partnership worth 117* with Buttler while scoring 67 runs off 69 balls. More importantly he stayed there till the very end to see his team home. His knock and patience were not only rewarded with a win for England but also with the Man of the Match award.