Pakistan surprised a strong and 1st choice England squad by defeating them by 31 runs in the 1st T20I. After being beaten comprehensively by a 2nd choice England team in ODI series by 3-0, they finally rose to the occasion with Babar Azam scoring a magnificent and calculative 85 runs off 49 balls and his deputy Mohammad Rizwan scoring 63 runs off 41 balls. This was after Babar Azam scored his career best 158 runs in his latest ODI as well as Mohammad Rizwan scoring 74 runs in the same ODI.
Their 1st wicket partnership of 150 runs ensured that England would have few chances of a comeback. After setting up a partnership of 150 runs in just 88 balls, the remaining 32 balls produced 82 runs for Pakistan. Their middle-order injected life and ensured that Pakistan opener’s efforts don’t go in vain. Fakhar Zaman batted out of his usual opening position, but still scored 26 runs off 8 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes. 40-year-old veteran Mohammad Hafeez scored 24 runs off 10 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes. Sohaib Maqsood, batting at no.3 scored 19 runs off 7 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes.
For England, the most successful bowler was Tom Curran, who took 2/47 off 4 overs followed by David Willey, who took 1/39 off 4 overs.
England’s chase, meanwhile didn’t started smoothly with Dawid Malan struggling to time ball and eventually falling for 1 run off 6 balls. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali fell soon but Jason Roy charged down the track to hit 3 sixes before getting caught for 32 runs but the main highlight of the match came when Liam Livingstone lit the English supporters night with a timely knock which will be considered the 3rd best in England’s T20I history statistics wise.
Liam Livingstone hit his maiden T20I fifty off just 17 balls, the fastest by an England player in T20Is. He scored 3 fours and 5 gigantic sixes. Later, he ran out of partners amidst the ever increasing required run-rate and though he completed a century off just 42 balls with a six, he mistimed the very next delivery bowled by Shadab Khan and was dismissed for 103 runs off 43 balls with 6 fours and 9 sixes. David Willey tried to go hard but succumbed for 16 runs owing to good bowling and fielding by Pakistan team. The game was done and dusted for Pakistan when Shaheen Shah Afridi took the final wicket of Matt Parkinson, the no.11 of England by getting him out clean bowled.
The player of the match, surprisingly went to Shaheen Shah Afridi for bowling figures of 3/30 in 3.2 overs. But to say the least, Pakistan's team delivered a team performance on the field and almost everyone deserved to be the Man of the Match from that XI. Livingstone also received lots of accolades on social media after the game.
