Bairstow’s Sharjah-inspired six helps England’s win against Pakistan

LONDON: At the famous The Oval, England soundly thrashed Pakistan at the fourth T20 international (T20I) match to claim the T20 series 2-0.

Read more: Live updates: England vs Pakistan, fourth T20 international match

England won by 7 wickets with 27 balls to spare. It easily chased the target of 158 runs at expense of a mere three wickets.

England’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss paid off, with captain Jos Buttler proving wise in his choice. The English bowlers kept the Pakistani batters under control, with Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone each taking two wickets. Although Mark Wood conceded the most runs, 35 in his four overs, Adil Rashid gave away 27, and Liam Livingstone only 17.

Usman Khan scored 38 runs off 21 balls, while captain Babar Azam trailed closely with 36 runs off 22 balls. Mohammad Rizwan contributed only 23 runs off 16 balls.

The Pakistani batting lineup, much like the women’s team the day before, collapsed against the England bowlers, appearing as fragile as a house of cards. They could only muster 157 runs in 19.5 overs before being dismissed.

English openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt poured salt on Pakistani bowlers’ wounds before buttering a great partnership that completely offset any chance for the Pakistani bowlers to tilt the match in their favour.

Salt mercilessly thrashed Pakistani bowlers from Shaheen Shah Afridi to Haris Rauf. Phil Salt peppered them with numerous 4s and 6s in just a single over. Though he was eventually dismissed in the fourth over, the damage was already done. Phil Salt departed the crease with 45 runs to his name off just 24 balls.

Living up to his leadership role as captain, Jos Buttler provided valuable support while Salt wreaked havoc on the Pakistani bowlers. Buttler contributed 39 runs from 21 balls before being dismissed.

Not to be overshadowed, Johnny Bairstow also made his presence felt. Although he scored 28 runs off 16 balls, it was channeling the famed Sharjah sixer that sealed England’s victory.

With England needing just 6 runs to win from 21 balls, Bairstow took mercy on the audience’s blood pressure levels and put an end to any suspense.

Pakistani bowler Haris Rauf was the only player to put up a fight. He claimed three critical (and only) wickets for Pakistan, including those of Salt and Buttler. However, he conceded 38 runs in just 3.3 overs.

Meanwhile, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi decided to be extremely generous and charitable by offering 20 runs each to the English batters on a silver platter.

This match should serve as an eye-opener for Pakistan, particularly concerning wicketkeeping and fielding. Player fitness is a concern, with Haris Rauf only offering good fielding in the final overs of the match.

While he managed to catch the ball that bowled out Phil Salt, Azam Khan’s fitness and performance, particularly in today’s match, were less than stellar. He appeared slow, missed critical catches, and struggled to field balls, allowing English batters to score several boundaries.

At one point, even Haris Rauf cast a murderous glance at Azam Khan for missing an extremely critical catch-out opportunity.

Read more: Pakistan’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 qualification chances dim

The bowling and batting lineup similarly need work. The Pakistani batting lineup collapsed like a limp, overboiled noodle, while the bowlers, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, failed to deliver even average performance.

Individual good performances alone cannot help the Pakistani team win against other teams in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, just around the corner.