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England kicked off their T20 World Cup preparations with a narrow 23-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20I at Edgbaston. This win puts them 1-0 up in the five-match series after the first match was rained out.
Jos Buttler puts on a show with the bat
England captain Jos Buttler took center stage after winning the toss and choosing to bat. He played a crucial role in anchoring the innings, scoring a quickfire 84 runs off just 51 balls. This knock not only helped England weather the initial threat from Pakistan's pace duo of Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir, but also saw him reach a personal milestone of 3000 T20 runs.
Buttler's innings wasn't a solitary effort. Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow provided valuable cameos, raising hopes of a much bigger total. However, a mini-collapse saw England lose five wickets for just 29 runs in the final five overs. While Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir came back strong with late wickets, England managed to neutralize the threat of Pakistan's leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who went wicketless in his four overs, conceding only 55 runs.
Pakistan's batters falter in chase
Pakistan's chase started poorly with both openers, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, dismissed cheaply during the Powerplay. This put them in a precarious position early on. However, captain Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman steadied the ship with a 53-run partnership for the third wicket. Just as Pakistan seemed to be regaining control, Moeen Ali provided a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Babar for 32.
Fakhar Zaman tried to carry the fight with some aggressive batting, hitting fours and sixes, but the required run rate kept climbing and wickets continued to fall at the other end. Eventually, he was dismissed for 45 runs off just 21 deliveries.
With Pakistan at a precarious 100-6, a glimmer of hope emerged with a late partnership between Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad Wasim. They smashed some big hits, raising hopes of an unlikely comeback. However, Reece Topley dismissed the dangerous Iftikhar, putting a halt to the momentum. The rest of the lower order followed suit, and Jofra Archer claimed two wickets to seal a convincing victory for England. Returning from a 14-month injury absence, Jofra Archer marked his comeback with a two-wicket haul (2-28). He dismissed both Azam Khan and Wasim, who were caught in the covers.
The first match of the four-game series was washed out without a ball bowled. The series now moves to Cardiff for the third T20I on Tuesday, followed by the final match at The Oval on Thursday.
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