Browsing: Pakistan

England left scrambling as Pakistan move into strong position to win second Test

England are left with an uphill task to win the second Test against Pakistan after losing two wickets during the early stages of their run chase in Multan.

Pakistan have laid the foundations to defeat England in the second Test, leaving the tourists on 36-2 at stumps on day three in Multan.

When England were 211-2 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 366 on Wednesday, Ben Stokes‘ side appeared to be in control.

However, fast-track to just over 24 hours later and England are scrambling to stop Pakistan from levelling the series at one victory apiece, still requiring 261 runs with eight wickets left.

With no sign of bad weather, the game will reach a conclusion on Friday with England needing to reassess how they go about their run chase on a heavily-turning pitch.

Leach impresses with bat and ball

Of England’s final seven batsman, it was Jack Leach who would top-score with 25, adding potentially-vital runs in a 29-run last-wicket partnership with Shoaib Bashir to take the visitors to 291.

The pair were equally impressive with the ball, albeit assisted by the pitch, as wickets fell at regular intervals with Pakistan being reduced to 77-4.

When that became 114-5, England were in the ascendancy, but a magnificent 63 from 89 deliveries from Salman Agha turned the tide in Pakistan’s favour.

With Sajid Khan also adding 22 at the bottom of the order, Pakistan would make a credible 221, setting England a target of 297 at a time when they would have been encouraged by Leach and Bashir’s combined figures being 7-133.

Pakistan seize advantage

Although the game was finely in the balance, spin bowler Sajid put Pakistan firmly in control by taking the wicket of Ben Duckett (0) with the third ball of their chase.

Zak Crawley followed shortly for three, being stumped off the bowling of Noman Ali, and it left Ollie Pope and Joe Root needing to survive the final 30 minutes to give England a realistic chance of victory.

The experienced pair did just that, adding 25 runs from the remaining 7.4 overs to take England to 36-2, with Pope unbeaten on 21 and Root having made 12.

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Pakistan vs. England: Jack Leach spins tourists to historic win in first Test on day five

England complete one of the more logic-defying victories in the history of Test cricket as Jack Leach seals a win in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs.

England have sealed an historic first-Test win over Pakistan, prevailing by an innings and 47 runs in Multan on Friday.

The hard work in a logic-defying contest was done in the previous four days, Ollie Pope‘s side responding to Pakistan’s 556 with a monumental reply of 823-7.

Although England held a 267-run lead, the flat pitch initially left a draw as the most likely outcome until the tourists ripped through the Pakistan top order during the final two-and-a-half hours on Thursday.

Resuming on 152-6, and with Abrar Ahmed absent through illness, Pakistan were left with the steepest of uphill tasks to bat out the day, and they showed resilience through Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal during the first hour of the final day.

However, once Jack Leach had removed Agha for 63, the writing was on the wall, and the veteran spin bowler would soon dismiss Shaheen Shah Afridi (10) and Naseem Shah (6) to seal a famous win for England and finish with figures of 4-30.

Jamal was left high and dry on 55 not out, the effort of himself and Agha to put together a seventh-wicket stand lasting 24.2 overs – the exact amount of time it took for England to take their first six wickets – the only positive that can be taken since they ended their first innings.

What did Pope have to say?

When speaking to BBC Test Match Special after the game, Pope was quick to praise Joe Root and Harry Brook, who scored 262 and 317 respectively as they put together a record-breaking 454-run stand for the fourth wicket.

That effort proved decisive in England becoming the first team to ever concede so many runs and manage to record an innings victory in the history of Test cricket.

Pope said: “Amazing. The way Rooty and Brooky batted was phenomenal. Coming off the field after the first innings we knew 550 was a lot of runs.

“We didn’t know how much [the pitch] was going to break up, but it held together pretty nicely and the boys cashed in. We had to find a way of taking wickets, as captain you have to try to get creative and set different plans.

“That was the main challenge for me trying to find a way of taking 10 wickets and being OK with them getting those runs and keeping your head if someone did get in.”

What next?

The second Test starts on Tuesday at the same ground, England having to make a decision on how to reintegrate captain Ben Stokes should he prove his fitness after a hamstring injury.

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England hit 823 to move to brink of incredible win over Pakistan in Multan first Test

Harry Brook scores 317 and England hit 823 to move to the brink of an incredible victory over Pakistan in the first Test in Multan.

England enjoy one of their most famous days in Test cricket, scoring an incredible 823-7 before moving to the brink of victory against Pakistan in Multan.

Harry Brook and Joe Root combined to record England’s greatest-ever Test partnership, putting on 454 for the fourth wicket to take the game away from their hosts who had scored 556 in their first innings.

The issue for stand-in captain Ollie Pope was deciding when was best to declare, with the flatness of the pitch needing to be taken into consideration.

However, Pope and the rest of the England team need not have worried as their bowling attack tore through the Pakistan top order, taking six wickets in just 24.2 overs.

Pakistan deserve credit for avoiding defeat before the game headed into its fifth day, but surviving from here would represent a more outstanding feat than England have achieved by putting themselves in this position.

What records have been set?

Brook will take the majority of the plaudits from Thursday’s play, his 317 from just 322 balls featuring 29 fours and three maximums.

The Yorkshireman’s knock is the fifth highest by an Englishman in Test cricket, while his 454-run stand with Root was the highest fourth-wicket partnership in the history of Test cricket.

Root had to settle for just the 262, the 33-year-old recording his highest-ever score in Test cricket having spent 10 hours and one minute at the crease.

England’s total of 823 was still just their fourth highest in history, yet the speed of compiling it in only 150 overs may stand the test of time.

Jamie Smith made 31, Chris Woakes 17 and Brydon Carse nine before the declaration, which gave Pakistan 20 minutes or so to bat before tea.

England attack dismantle Pakistan

The momentum was already with England before Woakes sensationally clean-bowled Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of the innings.

Although the ship was steadied, Shan Masood (11), Babar Azam (5) and Saim Ayub (25) were all back in the pavilion by 12.1 overs, Carse and Gus Atkinson doing the damage.

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel were next to go for 10 and 29 respectively, England having just under 13 overs to force an historic victory with a day to spare.

However, they lived to fight another day through Salman Agha (41) and Aamer Jamal (27) seeing out a nervy final hour, with Pakistan still trailing by 115 runs.

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England drop Dan Lawrence, name two uncapped players for Pakistan Test series

England selectors take the decision to drop Dan Lawrence – who opened during the recent games with Sri Lanka – for the Test series against Pakistan.

England batsman Dan Lawrence has been dropped from the 17-player squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

Having had to remain patient for another opportunity with his country, Lawrence was thrust into action for the recent triple-header versus Sri Lanka.

Although England posted a 2-1 series victory, losing the final fixture on Monday, not all of the batting contingent shown enough consistency to guarantee their place for the games that start next month.

Lawrence fell into that category, his three scores in the thirties being undermined by the same amount of single-digit contributions.

His 35 in the second innings against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday was his highest score in his last 13 in all formats, stretching back into July.

With Zak Crawley having recovered from a broken finger, the first-choice opener returns to the fold along with captain Ben Stokes, who has also recently missed out with a hamstring injury.

Brydon Carse in action for England in September 2023.© Imago

Who are the two Test rookies?

One of two uncapped players is no stranger to international cricket with Brydon Carse having already played in 14 one-day and three T20 matches.

The pace bowler has 15 wickets in the longer format, his best figures of 5-61 coming against Pakistan in 2021, while the 29-year-old also has best figures of 3-23 in the 20-over arena.

Meanwhile, batsman and wicket-keeper Jordan Cox is currently preparing to make his international bow in the T20 series against Australia which begins this week.

Cox, who is 23 years of age, averages 39.92 from 85 first-class appearances, already posting eight centuries with a best of 238*.

Another notable inclusion is that of spin bowler Jack Leach, the 33-year-old having not featured in an England shirt since the first Test against India in January.

Test squad in full:

Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Bryson Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

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Preview: T20 World Cup: Pakistan vs. Canada – prediction, team news, series so far

Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Canada, scheduled to be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan find themselves in a must-win situation as they prepare to take on Canada in match 22 of the T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

The Shaheens are yet to earn a point in the competition and enter this match second-bottom in the Group A standings, while the Maple Leafers are in third place with two points in as many games.

Match preview

Pakistan's Haris Rauf celebrates taking the wicket of England's Will Jacks on June 5, 2024© Reuters

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign is in complete turmoil heading into game three, as they must defeat both Canada and Ireland to have a chance at advancing to the Super Eights, while also hoping that the group leaders slip up.

The Shaheens suffered arguably the biggest upset in T20 World Cup history in their first game, where they were beaten by hosts United States in a nail-biting encounter that went down to the Super Over.

Babar Azam‘s side then looked primed to overcome their arch-rivals India on Sunday after bowling the Men in Blue out for just 119 in 19 overs, marking India’s lowest total against Pakistan in 12 T20Is since 2007.

However, the victory was not to be, as Jasprit Bumrah turned the match on its head, knocking over Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, while Hardik Pandya bagged 2/24, restricting Pakistan to 113/7, six runs shy of their target.

Pakistan have now lost each of their last four T20 internationals, barring abandoned matches, while the only Test-playing nation they have beaten in 2024 was New Zealand on home soil back in April.

The 2024 T20 World Cup has already tossed up several shocking results, including three first-time participants earning victories, while some of the big guns have struggled to hit top gear in challenging conditions.

Canada, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, experienced their best day in international cricket since defeating Bangladesh at the 2003 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, when they produced an all-round effort to stun Ireland by 12 runs last Friday.

The groundwork for Canada’s first victory in a T20 World Cup was established by Nicholas Kirton‘s 49 off 35 balls, supported by Shreyas Movva, who made a workman-like 37 in 36 deliveries. The Maple Leafers were struggling at 53/4 when the duo joined forces in the ninth over, but they managed to stabilize the innings, forming a crucial 75-run partnership.

Canada’s bowling lineup then got them over the line with excellent spells from Jeremy Gordon and Dillon Heylinger, who took two wickets apiece while conceding just 16 and 18 runs respectively in their four-over allotment.

Such is this format of T20 cricket that the minnows have a real chance of beating the big guns, and while very few are giving the Canadians a chance in this one, they are the side entering the contest with confidence and cannot be overlooked with Pakistan yet to find any sort of rhythm in their play.

Team News

Pakistan's Imad Wasim celebrates after taking a wicket on May 25, 2024© Reuters

Despite their struggles in this competition, Pakistan’s bowling attack have fared well, with Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir providing excellent support for Shaheen Afridi with the new ball.

Fakhar Zaman was dismissed cheaply yet again after a poor shot saw him edge the ball to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps in the last match, and his place in the middle order is likely to come under scrutiny unless he can produce a solid knock in this one.

While Canada will be over the moon with their performance in their last match, they will be hoping for bigger contributions for Aaron Johnson and Navneet Dhaliwal at the top of the order after the pair were dismissed for a total of 20 runs between them against Ireland.

Captain Saad Bin Zafar and Junaid Siddiqui both delivered economical spells of 1/22 and 1/27 in their four overs respectively last time out, although Kaleem Sana struggled with the new ball and may be given one more chance to shine before the side considers a change up front.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Khan.15 hours ago

Canada squad: Saad Bin Zafar (c), Dilpreet Bajwa, Navneet Dhaliwal, Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Shreyas Movva (WK), Rayyan Pathan, Nikhil Dutta, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon, Dillon Heyliger, Rishiv Joshi, Kaleem Sana

Series so far

Pakistan

Match One: Pakistan lost the Super Over by 5 runs
Pakistan – 159/7 &13/1
USA – 159/3 & 18/1

Match Two: Pakistan lost by 6 runs
India – 119 (19)
Pakistan – 113/7 (20)

Canada

Match One: Canada lost by 7 wickets
Canada – 194/5 (20)
USA – 197/3 (17.4)

Match Two: Canada won by 12 runs
Canada – 137/7 (20)
Ireland – 125/7 (20)

SM words green background© PA Photos

We say: Pakistan to win

Pakistan are in a do-or-die situation from here on, and based on their performances in the competition so far, winning the next two games is certainly not a given.

However, the Shaheens do have a tendency to pull off big performances when they need them the most, and while we are not expecting a blow-out here, we do feel that the Green Shirts will remain in the qualification battle by winning this match.

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Preview: T20 World Cup: India vs. Pakistan – prediction, team news, series so far

Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, scheduled to be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Week two in the 2024 T20 World Cup will see arch-rivals India and Pakistan face off at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday afternoon.

These two form one of the most intense rivalries in all sports, and the temporary 34,000-seat stadium in East Meadow is expected to be packed to capacity for what has been dubbed the ‘Super Bowl on steroids’.

Match preview

India's Axar Patel celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen on June 5, 2024© Reuters

When India and Pakistan take to the field, it transcends sport and becomes pure emotion. Nearly 400 million TV and streaming site viewers in India tuned in to watch the previous encounter in October last year at the ODI World Cup, and there have been reports this week suggesting that re-sale platforms have priced tickets for this match at between $1000 and $5000 per seat – all of which are expected to be sold.

India came into the T20 World Cup looking to end their unwanted pattern of near misses in international competitions, having come painfully close to glory in recent tournaments but ultimately falling short at crucial moments.

Nevertheless, the Men in Blue look like they mean business this year and made a positive start to the campaign by bundling out Ireland for 96 runs within 16 overs in their first match, with their pace bowlers securing eight wickets at remarkably low economy rates. The Irish only managed three sixes and eight fours throughout their innings.

Despite the loss of an early wicket in the third over, India clinched victory by eight wickets and with more than seven overs to spare, with captain Rohit Sharma spearheading their pursuit with 52 runs before he had to retire hurt after sustaining an injury to his arm.

India have won six and lost only one T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, which included a famous final victory in the first-ever tournament held in South Africa in 2007, while the sole defeat came in the pandemic-delayed 2021 edition, which is also the first-ever World Cup win in any format that the Shaheens have managed against the Blue shirts.

Pakistan's Haris Rauf celebrates taking the wicket of England's Will Jacks on June 5, 2024© Reuters

Sharma’s injury has brought up a few questions about the state of the pitch here in Nassau County and both games played on the surface have ended as low-scoring affairs. India’s win against Ireland saw a total of 193 runs scored across both innings, which is only marginally higher than the average score in one innings in the recently concluded IPL season.

At first glance, it is a fairly flat and bouncy track that looks ideal for pace bowling, which is something that Pakistan will need to take advantage of after ending up on the receiving end of what many consider the biggest upset in T20 World Cup history when they lost their opening match of the competition to World Cup debutants the United States.

Batting first, the Shaheens bounced back from a shaky start at 26/3 in the fifth over to reach a defendable total of 159/7, with captain Babar Azam leading the charge, scoring a 43-ball 44, while Shadab Khan scored 40 runs off 25 balls, and Shaheen Afridi finished unbeaten with 23 runs off 16 deliveries.

However, the tournament co-hosts, whose only previous victories against Test-playing nations in T20Is were over Ireland and Bangladesh, matched the target set before pulling off a remarkable five-run victory in the super over where Saurabh Netravalkar conceded just 13 runs and claimed a wicket thanks to a catch of the tournament contender by Nitish Kumar.

After a dismal ODI World Cup where they only managed four wins in nine games, leading to an early exit in the group stage, the Shaheens face a similar fate here as a loss to their neighbours will leave them four points adrift of the top two places with three games to go, meaning they will likely have to win all of their remaining games and cross fingers that the group leaders have a complete meltdown in their last three games.

Team News

India's Virat Kohli celebrates after reaching his 50th century, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record of most number of ODI centuries on November 15, 2023© Reuters

Rahul Dravid announced last week that he would be stepping down as the national T20 team head coach at the end of this tournament and the Indian batting legend will love nothing more than to lead his side to their first T20 title since the inaugural tournament in 2007.

After retiring hurt, Sharma’s participation in this match is in doubt, though he has not been ruled out as of yet. In the event he cannot take the field on Sunday, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the most likely to come into the side at the top of the order.

Virat Kohli, who just earned his second orange cap at the IPL, will almost certainly continue to open the innings despite his cheap dismissal in their opening match, while Rishabh Pant seems to have locked down the number-three spot after two solid knocks in the warm-up game and against Ireland.

Babar Azam has been a steady force leading the Shaheens batting lineup, but to have a chance of challenging India, he will need the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman to step up here after the top-order trio were dismissed for a combined total of 23 runs against the US.

With the pitch in Nassau County expected to favour the pacemen, Pakistan will likely look for a big contribution from Afridi with the new ball. The left-arm speedster has taken 34 wickets in powerplays since 2019, which is the second-most of any bowler in T20s over the period, only behind New Zealand’s Tim Southee (39).

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

Series so far

India

Match One: India won by 8 wickets
Ireland: 96 (16)
India: 97/2 (12.2)

Pakistan

Match One: Pakistan lost the Super Over by 5 runs
Pakistan: 159/7 & 13/1
United States: 159/3 & 18/1

SM words green background© PA Photos

We say: India to win

India come into this match off the back of a commanding performance against Ireland and look set to go deep in this tournament, with their players looking match-sharp, having only just completed the 2024 Indian Premier League season.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will arrive in New York likely still feeling the effects of their massive opening-game disappointment, and their performance in that match combined with their recent record suggests they will struggle to overcome the Men in Blue in this one.

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England pull off rare feat in T20 victory over Pakistan

England conclude the T20 series against Pakistan with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval, pulling off a rare feat in the process.

England have recorded a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan to secure a 2-0 win in the best-of-four T20 series.

The two sides went into the final fixture at The Oval having been left frustrated with two washouts ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

However, the rain stayed away in London for a full match to materialise, England starring with bat and ball to prevail with 27 balls to spare.

Jos Buttler‘s side now travel to the USA and West Indies for the bumper tournament, with their opening fixture coming against Scotland on June 4.

Pakistan fail to take advantage of fast start

Although England won the toss and elected to field, it initially looked like the wrong decision as Pakistan made it to 59-0 off 5.5 overs.

Within minutes, that became 65-2, Babar Azam (36) and Mohammad Rizwan (23) making their way back to the pavilion, and Usman Khan‘s exciting 38 from 21 balls came to an end with Pakistan on 83-3.

Much of the rest of the innings was a disaster. Three batsmen – Shadab Khan, Azam Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi – all departed for ducks having faced eight deliveries between them.

Jofra Archer took the final wicket for figures of 1-31 on just his second England game in over a year, while Mark Wood, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone all took two wickets apiece as Pakistan were dismissed for 157 with one ball remaining.

What rare feat did England pull off?

All six of England’s bowlers took at least one wicket, while the remaining five players all achieved double figures with the bat.

Phil Salt and Buttler were sensational during the opening overs; Salt hit 45 from 24 and Buttler made 39 from 21.

The pair departed with England on 101-2 off just nine overs and Will Jacks was able to keep things ticking along with 20 from 18.

Jonny Bairstow (28*) and Harry Brook (17*) brought the game home, the former smashed three sixes from his 16-ball knock for his best effort in five innings when including IPL matches.

England will now make the long trip West to try to defend the trophy that they won two years ago, coincidentally against Pakistan.

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Jofra Archer returns as England beat Pakistan in second T20 international

Jofra Archer makes his long-awaited return for England in a 23-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20 international at Edgbaston.

England have commenced their summer fixtures with a 23-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20 international.

After the first fixture was washed out courtesy of the wet weather, there was extra importance on Saturday’s game at Edgbaston, with Jofra Archer making his first outing for over 14 months.

The pace bowler delivered 2-28 from his four overs after Jos Buttler‘s 84 with the bat, with the pair playing key roles as England bowled out Pakistan for 160.

Having won the toss, Pakistan put their hosts into bat, and the early breakthrough was made when Phil Salt (13) went at the start of the fourth over.

However, Will Jacks arrived at the crease to put on a 71-run partnership alongside Buttler before departing for 37 from just 23 balls, putting the onus on Buttler to kick on.

Buttler stars in Birmingham

With Jonny Bairstow (21) one of only two other England batsmen to reach double figures, the other being Archer with 12, England’s captain hit 84 from 51 deliveries in a knock that included three maximums.

After seeing England reach 183-7, Pakistan were dealt an abysmal start as Mohammad Rizwan departed for a third-ball duck, Saim Ayub soon following for two.

Babar Azam (32) and Fakhar Zaman (45) blasted nine fours and three sixes between them to keep Pakistan in the match, yet wickets were being lost at regular intervals.

Six England bowlers chipped in with wickets, with Reece Topley the pick with 3-41, but Moeen Ali‘s 2-26 on familiar territory for the veteran all-rounder also proved crucial.

Pakistan lost their final wicket with four balls remaining ahead of the third of fourth matches taking place in Cardiff on Tuesday night.

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