England, in their first tour to Pakistan, won the toss and opted to bowl first.
England vs Pakistan:
Skipper Moeen Ali is captaining England as the Three Lions face the men in green in a seven-match series as both nations gear up in a dress rehearsal series for the next month’s T20 World Cup.
Ali is leading England since regular skipper Jos Buttler is recovering from a calf injury. Karachi is set to host four games while the remaining three will be played in Lahore from September 28.
As England’s first encounter in Pakistan in nearly 17 years finished with victory in the first Twenty20, Alex Hales marked the end of his international exile with a pivotal half-century.
The opener scored 53 runs in 40 balls on his first England appearance since March 2019, when he was released following a positive recreational medical exam.
He commemorated the end of his exile by directing the team to a six-wicket victory.
Pakistan got off to a great start. The openers added 85 while having a great time batting with the new ball. Azam was playing along while Rizwan was being aggressive.
Runs were difficult to come by after the captain collapsed. Only Rizwan was able to score readily; everyone else had significant difficulty.
Although Iftikhar Ahmed delivered a couple heavy strikes, Pakistan’s match did not end as they had hoped.
Although England’s bowlers first failed to adapt to the conditions, as the game went on, they became aware of how to bowl in this situation.
There were many off-pace deliveries, which made it difficult to score runs. Both Luke Wood and Rashid were quite smart. Later on, Willey and Curran made a good comeback, and Richard Gleeson and Moeen Ali also performed admirably.
With rookie Luke Wood taking an outstanding three for 24, England had done well to limit the hosts to 158 for seven in the presence of a sold-out 35,000 spectators at Karachi’s National Stadium.
When the end was in sight, Hales, who was once again playing at the opening position, brought his team within 17 of the resounding victory by hitting seven boundaries.
He then chipped to mid-off. Harry Brook completed the task with a polished 42 not out, which included the decisive four in the last over.
The second of seven games in the series, which is expected to be thrilling, historic, and give both teams a good head start on the World Cup next month, will be played on Thursday.
Pakistan simply wasn’t prepared for it! Too many of the deliveries were subpar, and the fielding was also atrocious.
Their loss was probably due to Shan Masood’s error. Their bowlers had difficulty getting wickets. Only Usman Qadir appeared to be a threat; the others were unable to adequately assist him. Simply put, England outplayed them.
In the first innings, England’s spinners did a great job of applying the breaks.
He claims that he and Rizwan adhered to the strategy and constructed a strong upper base. Nevertheless, praises Adil Rashid for his impressive spell.
Mentions the need for the batters to step up, and hopes that they will do so in the upcoming game. adds that they are experimenting with different lineups prior to the World Cup and are also seeking to give certain key players some playing action.
