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England beat Pakistan to win T20 World Cup

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England defeated Pakistan by five wickets to win the T20 World Cup, making Ben Stokes the star of the show once more in a championship match.

When England and Pakistan hit the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, there were no apparent favourites, but it did not take long for it to become clear which side was the favourite, deserved, and most likely to win.

England were reduced to 45-3 inside the powerplay when openers Alex Hales (1), Buttler (26 off 17), and Phil Salt (10 off 9) were removed, and they were 84-4 in the 13th over after Harry Brook (20) was beautifully taken at long-off by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Shaheen hurt himself while making his grab and had to be helped up one ball into the 16th over.

Stokes blasted his replacement, off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed, for four and six off consecutive balls to reduce the target to 28 from 24 deliveries, and England would not be denied, with Pakistan’s wicket of Moeen Ali (19 off 13) arriving too late.

Stokes hit his first T20 international fifty with the four that levelled the scores, before schlepping the single through the leg-side that gave England the title  redemption from the 2016 T20 final, when Carlos Brathwaite hammered him for four consecutive sixes to win the trophy for West Indies.

England won their second T20 World Cup crown, after their triumph in the Caribbean in 2010, and a tournament victory that seemed a distant shot after their humiliating defeat to Ireland at the MCG last month.

England recovered to defeat New Zealand, edge through Sri Lanka, and demolish India before defeating Pakistan to destroy their opponents’ dreams of winning the T20 World Cup for the second time and emulating their 1992 50-over World Cup victory against England at the MCG.

With this campaign virtually matching their 1992 tournament – sluggish start, squeaking into the semi-finals, overcoming New Zealand in the semis, facing England in the final – destiny appeared to be on Pakistan’s side, but Buttler’s men upset them in Melbourne.

Pakistani batters were not only negligent of not rotating the strike, but they also failed to obtain boundaries to exert pressure back on England at any point of the innings, as they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, limiting them to an underpar total in the World Cup final.

Curran, who finished the World Cup with 13 wickets at an average of 11.38 and an economy rate of 6.52, bowled Mohammad Rizwan (15) in the fifth over and emerged in the dying overs to catch top-scorer Shan Masood (38 off 28) and Mohammad Nawaz (5) at deep midwicket.

Rashid, however, was superb in the middle, dismissing Mohammad Haris (8) with his first ball and then snaring Babar (32 off 28) when the Pakistan skipper sliced a googly back to him and the spinner pouched low to his right.

Salt pulled to midwicket in the fourth over and Buttler slashed behind to wicketkeeper Rizwan in the sixth to give England some jitters before Stokes and Brook eased them a touch with a fourth-wicket stand of 39 from 42 balls.

Stokes would have been run out with 51 needed after slipping but the shy at the stumps was wayward and he went on to lead England to victory, with his stand of 47 from 33 balls with Moeen taking the match away from Pakistan.

Jos Buttler, England Captain: “This is the icing on the cake, to win the T20 World Cup, just immensely proud. A long journey and a few changes, but we’re reaping the rewards. Fantastic tournament, Pakistan was a valuable time for the group, but this is a way away from the Ireland game.

Babar Azam, Pakistan Captain: “Congratulations to England team, we felt like everyone came here to support us, thank you so much. The way the team has gone in the last four matches, incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom. We were 20 runs short but fight to the last over was unbelievable. Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately Shaheen’s injury cost us a different result, but that’s part of the game.”

Sam Curran, Player of the Match: “I don’t think I should be getting this, the way Stokesy played there… we’re going to enjoy this occasion, very special. They had big square boundaries, so into the wicket, it offered for the seamers, nipping around and a challenge for the chase. The way I bowl, I go into the wicket with my slower balls and keep the batsmen guessing. World Champions, how good!”

England will stay in Australia for a three-match one-day international series against Australia, which begins on Thursday in Adelaide and continues with games at the SCG on Saturday and the MCG on November 22.

They will next go to Pakistan for a three-match Test series, their first in the country since 2005, beginning on December 1 in Rawalpindi.

 

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Farzeen K

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