Shadab Khan whipped the rug from under England’s boots with an eye-popping blitz of boundary-peppering when hope was lost, turning an English sure-thing into defeat and guaranteeing Pakistan a place in the tri-series final.
With Pakistan 154 for nine in their run-chase, 88 away from victory, queues built for the exits. But Shadab had other ideas, and with Haris Rauf, seven from 19 balls, providing adhesive company, went on the rampage. Drama doubled when he was given out lbw to a full toss on 97, and had started to walk off, hands shaken with England, before an inside edge was discovered on review.
Twenty needed, and 20 got, nail-nibbling minutes encompassing Rauf arguing a wide with Will Jacks and having to be ushered away by Joe Root, a first hundred in any international cricket for Shadab from a Gus Atkinson yorker dabbed for four, and Rauf driving Henry Crocombe for four to win the game by one wicket.
After the chubbiness of Thursday’s 859-run glut , this was bat versus ball on speed. Pakistan, in West Indies World Series salmon pink for breast cancer awareness, looked in command at the halfway stage, after England had been bowled out with 20 balls to spare for just 241. But England’s bowlers kept their nerve and Pakistan’s batters faltered, until Shadab and Rauf’s last stand.
Pakistan’s chase had started under a purple Lahore night sky, floodlights on and the ground filling up late like industrial piping in giant choux bun. It was an intimidating atmosphere for Crocombe, on ODI debut, brought in for Josh Tongue, missing with a bruised toe. England also chose to leave Adil Rashid twiddling his thumbs on the bench for the second match in a row.
But, like England earlier in the day, Pakistan had a tricky power play. A frustrated Fakhar Zaman flashed a drive straight into the giant paws of Jamie Overton at slip in the fifth over to give the immaculate Atkinson his first wicket.
Sharing the new ball was Crocombe. He was on the money with his first over, a more erratic nine-ball third finished with the wicket of Saim Ayub, who had got off the mark with a six to his 10th ball. Here he opened the face and also ladled the ball straight into the big hands of Overton and Crocombe was mobbed.
The crowd had one name on their lips and Babar Azam, at his home ground, made them happy with a pure off drive matched by something equally majestic on the on side. But just as the glory hit the veins, Atkinson had him, through the gate, firing the top of off, wagging his finger in celebration. Saad Baig picked up the pace with a otherworldly 32, until a bullet was well caught by Jacks at backward point off Overton, who had pulled up in his delivery stride and called on the physio earlier in the over.
From there it was cat and mouse. Could England frustrate Pakistan into giving wickets away? The answer was yes, as Liam Dawson, Sam Curran and Overton bowled on a button, and finally Hasan Nawaz yahooed Dawson into the stratosphere where Harry Brook waited for his prize. Arafat Minhas lasted just three balls before obligingly directing Overton to Joe Root, who had just been ushered to short fine leg by Brook and Pakistan were 103 for six. Salman Ali Agha had a meaty slog and was caught at long off by Curran off Dawson, Razaullah got a gorgeous ball from Jacks between bat and pad to leave Pakistan nine down. It looked like game over.
Earlier, Ben Duckett was the backbone of an England innings that sparked in places but was blotted by clusters of wickets. His second century at Lahore (to go with two at Bristol) was dominated by sweeps of various hues, but after Pakistan won the toss and bowled, England’s first four wickets lined up like a pin number: 4, 5, 1, 6.
Tom Banton clipped the superb Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fifth ball to cover to give him a 150th ODI wicket. Root had time, just, to dispatch Afridi to the boundary before making an ugly splodge. Brook, fresh from 202 against Sri Lanka, was off the mark with an inside edge but was undone by a slip coming back for the second, fractionally too slow for an inspired Razaullah, on ODI debut, pick up and throw at fine leg. Then Jordan Cox tried to nuzzle Rauf to third man but was met only by Babar diving to his right at slip and England were 56 for four at the end of the power play.
But in Curran, Duckett at last found someone with sticking power, and the pair added 93 before Curran (42) hooked a shorter ball to fine leg off Shaheen, who had brought himself back to break up the partnership, and duly did. England’s last five wickets added 96, Duckett reaching his fifth ODI hundred, and first against Pakistan, with a single and a low key kiss of the badge on the helmet.
Pakistan didn’t bowl Arafat, fresh from six wickets at Rawalpindi, till the 29th over, and he was the man to get Duckett for 105, and then the big hitting Overton, there were a couple of wickets for Razaullah too, scooping up Jacks off the dirt in his follow through, and then tempting Dawson, eyes down, to pull to deep square leg.
Shaheen collected his fourth and polished off the innings when Crocombe toe-ended to extra cover to give Babar his third catch. England were underdone, and later in the day, it showed.
