Eoin Morgan (66 off 33) and Dawid Malan (54 not out off 36) scored half-centuries as England defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the second T20 international at Old Trafford here on Sunday.
Manchester:
With the victory sealed in 19.1 overs, the home side (199 for 5) took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It is to be remembered that the first game was abandoned because of rain. Morgan, in at No.4, scored a match-changing 66, a knock boasting six fours and four sixes. Malan’s innings had six fours and one hit over the boundary cushions.
Earlier in the innings, Jonny Bairstow gave England a flying start, scoring 44 runs of just 24 balls. Spinner Shadab Khan (3/34) and Haris Rauf (2/34) bowled well, but their effort went in vain.
Batting first, Pakistan posted a challenging total of 195 for four. Captain Babar Azam (56 off 44) and veteran Mohammad Hafeez (69 off 36) did bulk of the scoring for the visiting side.
While opening batsman Azam’s knock included seven fours, Hafeez’s quick-fire innings was studded with five fours and four maximums. Left-handed opening batter Fakhar Zaman was the next best scorer for Pakistan, making 36 runs off 22 balls. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers for the host, scalping two for 32 runs.