In a Group 2 clash in Pallekele, England started decently after losing the toss and were fielding first. Pakistan won the toss in this Super 8 clash and elected to bat first. But England started well and got rid of Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha. But Pakistan are responding well and the game is in the balance at the end of the powerplay. Both teams had their moments.
England strike twice to keep Pakistan in check in powerplay overs.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to open for Pakistan while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Ayub got off the mark with a boundary as he charged down the wicket and shimmied outside leg to give himself room and threw his hands at it and sliced over backward point for a boundary. Jamie Overton came to bowl from the other end as Farhan got on his toes and slapped it over point for a boundary.
Archer continued and got rid of Ayub for 7 off 7 balls with one boundary to his name. Archer bowled a short ball outside the off-stump and it got big on the southpaw as he looked to lift his front leg and went for the pull shot and failed to control the stroke and got a big top edge that went high in the air and Bethell at deep backward square leg rain in and took the catch.
Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next. Farhan got an inside edge that went past leg stump and away to the fine leg fence. Farhan then took on Archer with a pull over midwicket and beat the diving Salt in the deep for a boundary. Liam Dawson came into the attack next as Salman stepped down the track and whipped it away to deep square leg fence for a boundary. Dawson hit back and got rid of Agha for 5 off 6 balls with a boundary to his name.
Dawson pushed across full outside the off-stump. Salman walked across and got down and looked to reach out to smash it downtown. He ended up mistiming it to long-off where Overton ran to his left to slide and pouch it with both hands. Babar Azam came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Archer continued to bowl his third over. Babar pulled the ball away through midwicket for a boundary. Babar again opened the bat face and guided it between short third man and backward point for a boundary.
Liam Dawson came to bowl the last over of powerplay. Farhan looked to flick it away and got the inside edge past backward square leg as the ball went away to the fence for a boundary. So, at the end of 6 overs, Pakistan reached 46/2 with Farhan unbeaten on 23 off 17 balls and Babar unbeaten on 10 off 6 balls. We paused for the Drinks Break as well.
Sahibzada Farhan & Babar Azam stabilises things for Pakistan till the halfway stage of the game.Â
Sam Curran came into the attack after the powerplay and Drinks Break. The 50 came up for Pakistan in 6.3 overs. Farhan slammed the ball back past the bowler for a boundary. Adil Rashid came into the attack next. He bowled a good first over. Liam Dawson came back into the attack. He too kept things under check as well. Rashid continued and bowled another tight over as we completed 10 overs.
At the end of the halfway stage after 10 overs, Pakistan were 70/2 in 10 overs with Babar unbeaten on 24 off 22 balls and Farhan unbeaten on 32 off 25 balls. The match was in balance at this stage.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, the game is nicely poised with both teams feeling out the conditions. Pakistan are 70/2 in 10 overs and will need around 160-170 to put pressure on England. England will want to chip away at the wickets and peg Pakistan further back. This match can go either ways and the next few overs will be crucial for both sides going forward.
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