England thrash Pakistan to lift T20 WC trophy, England forbade a 1992-style recurrence in Pakistan World Cup victory as they outplayed a Babar Azam-led team by five wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) today to win the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time.
England thrash Pakistan to lift T20 WC trophy
There was much discussion after Pakistan emerged from the ashes to win the tournament in a nod to the 1992 World Cup, but England played yet another masterful game of cricket to dash the hopes of the Pakistani supporters who packed the famous MCG to witness their team’s triumph.
After holding Pakistan to 137-8 runs, England cruised to win with a whole over remaining. With few resources available, Pakistan raised the possibility of the unfathomable when they reduced Jos Buttler’s team to 45-3, but Ben Stokes, the star of England’s 2019 ODI World Cup, maintained his composure and led the team to victory with a calm demeanor.
The winning single was taken by Stokes, who had an unbroken score of 52 off of 49, including five fours and one six. Before Alex Hales was defeated by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the first over, Buttler started the batting in his customary aggressive manner. In addition, Haris Rauf produced a fiery opening spell that netted him two wickets. Phil Salt was first eliminated for 10 after playing it straight to mid-wicket, and Buttler was later dismissed for 26 after playing 16 balls.
Stokes immediately assumed responsibility, and with the help of Harry Brooks, they put together a modest but crucial 39-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which helped the pursuit get back on track. Brooks was fired by Shadab Khan for 20 while Mohammad Wasim removed Moeen Khan for 19 only to decrease the margin. In the meantime, Stokes maintained his composure as wickets fell all around him, and in the penultimate over, he guided one past midwicket for a single to successfully end the pursuit.
The most effective bowler for Pakistan was Haris, who finished with a 2-23 total. Afridi, Wasim, and Shadan each grabbed one wicket. Sam Curran’s controlled fast bowling performance and Adil Rashid’s masterful spin bowling helped England limit Pakistan to a manageable score, giving them an early advantage in their quest to win the trophy for the first time since 2010. After West Indies, England is now the second side to have won the T20 World Cup twice. Additionally, it completed their hat trick after they won the ODI World Cup in 2019.
goofy, ending in a 2-22. Curran added the finishing touches, taking 3-12 while preventing Pakistan’s batters from going ballistic in the last overs. With 2-27, Chris Jordan provided the duo with the ideal opposition. Shan Masood led Pakistan in scoring with 28 from 38 balls, including two fours and a six. Shadab Khan contributed 20 and captain Babar Azam scored 32 from 28.
Even though opener Mohammad Rizwan narrowly avoided being run out when on base two after being asked to bat first, Pakistan appeared to be heading in the right direction. He then launched Pakistan’s innings by sweeping fast bowler Chris Woakes’ six over backward square leg. But as Curran rattled the stump, dismissing Rizwan for 15, things appeared ominous.
Pakistan was stifled in the middle overs by Rashid, who put on a fascinating display of Mohammad Haris, who has recently developed a reputation as a big hitter, was Pakistan’s chosen method to establish momentum. Adil Rashid dismissed him for 8 after he started with a boundary to further encircle Pakistan. The turning point for England, though, occurred when Rashid undone Babar with a googly, leaving Pakistan at 84-3 in the 12th over. Pakistan appeared to lose its way after that. The tide was turned by England and never turned back.
When Ben Stokes dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed for a duck with a delivery that had extra bounce, the situation only grew worse. As Curran and Jordan bowled well in the final overs, Pakistan continued to lose wickets on a regular basis, furthering their embarrassment.