Pakistan's Historic win over England on 22 September 2022

 written by: M. Arshad Sohail

Baber and Rizwan opening pair;

Babar Azam 110*, Mohammad Rizwan 88* as Pakistan cruise to a ten-wicket win

World record opening stand eases steep chase as host’s series level 1-1

Babar Azam scores his second T20I century, Pakistan vs. England, 2nd T20I, Karachi, 22 September 2022

Pakistan 203 for 0 (Babar 110*, Rizwan 88*) beat England 199 for 5 (Moeen 55*, Rauf 2-30) by ten wickets

A world record unbeaten 203-run partnership that was devastating in its brutality yet adorable in its beauty saw Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chase down 200 against England in three balls and without the loss of a single wicket. Babar registered his second T20I set, getting there off 62 balls, while Rizwan's unbeaten 51-ball 88 was a more than adequate supporting act.

The wicket seemed to play particularly slowly in the first innings, making England's 199 set look well over par at the time. That was thanks to two contrasting innings by England's middle order, with Ben Duckett's pragmatic shooting setting the platform before Moeen Ali's ferocious elegance saw him stroke an unbeaten 55 off 23. As Babar said on a 160 innings, he would be on top. Boundary of what Pakistan wanted to chase, England looked invulnerable.

But for all of Pakistan's strike numbers down the order, there was never any evidence that Babar and Rizwan weren't at their best in pursuit of a total, whatever that might be. After all, they smashed 204 against South Africa in April 2021 in 197 runs and were more than ready for the relentlessly attacking cricket they would have to subject England's bowling to. The power play came at fifty nine and the editorials simply continued in the same vein as the guests ran out of ideas. Alex Hales spending Rizwan in the power play was a sliding door moment as with virtually no chance the opening pair timed the chase to perfection to seal a stunning 10-wicket win.

There's really no point in talking about much else. England have better power hitters, a better middle order and significantly more batting weapons in their arsenal and Babar and Rizwan don't know it. The two put together a solid opening stand in the first game, only to see their teammates crumble under the pressure, so they seemed to realize the solid wasn't going to cut it. They may have to do it all themselves.

A couple of boundaries either side of the square from Rizwan in the first over set the tone. Rizwan led the charge early on as the skipper took his time and walked in, although a couple of jammed boundaries off Sam Curran suggested Babar was also starting to return to form. With the pace bowlers Moeen turning to Liam Dawson's spin, but 13 runs from the sixth over suggested that Pakistan would allow the visitors no cover.

Middle of the game;

A brief quiet spell after the over saw the required rate climb, but when Moeen bowled in the 13th over, the tide definitely turned. Twenty one from the over, including three muscular sixes, put the opener in a zone that few in world cricket reach. From there they were unstoppable, England's bowlers no obstacle in their inexorable march towards the target. A flurry of boundaries followed and by the time Babar brought up his century, victory was almost a formality. The win was sealed, aptly, by a cover drive, a signature shot from a man showing a passing dip in form was little more than that.

Contrasting styles of Duckett and Moeen

It would be hard to imagine what kind of surface you would have to produce to ensure that both Moeen and Duckett excel, but this strip of Karachi seems to be one of them. The slow surface made it difficult to play on the ground, so Duckett resorted to playing the paddle and backspin almost exclusively to great effect. A quick 50-run stand with Phil Salt allowed England to push forward and when Duckett was cleaned up by Mohammad Nawaz, he scored what looked like an extremely handy 22-ball 43 in an otherwise struggling England innings.

But Moeen then took the reins and punished every mistake in line and length - of which there were plenty on an off-color day for the Pakistan bowlers - and scoffed at the idea that this pitch might not be suitable for conventional firing. Indiscriminate between spin and pace, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Hasnain saw the last two deliveries of their final overs sail over the ropes. It was a breathtaking mix of timing, power and beauty, an all-around feast for the eyes that at the time looked like it could make the difference.