Karachi: Pakistan won by three runs in a final over thriller that saw the teams’ fortunes seesaw until Haris Rauf took two back-to-back wickets in the penultimate over that set up the Greenshirts’ victory in the fourth Twenty20 against England at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The two teams are now levelled 2-2 with the next leg of the series set for Lahore (September 28, 30 and October 2).
Earlier, England captain Moeen Ali won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat in the fourth Twenty20 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Sunday.
Pakistan were sent to bat first and restricted to a 167-run target that by all accounts should have been easy to chase for an English side that set a mammoth 222-run score in the previous match.
But it was not to be.
Even as the Pakistani batters failed to find their footing, the bowlers delivered, literally and figuratively, with Haris Rauf (3-32), Mohammad Hasnain (2-40) and Mohammad Wasim (1-30) pressuring the English side with their pace, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (3-35) and Mohammad Iftikhar (0-23) restricting the run rate.
The match was Pakistan’s 200th T20, the first team to reach the milestone.
England made three changes from the last game. Alex Hales and David Willey came into the side while Olly Stone was handed his international T20 debut.
They replaced Dawid Malan, Sam Curran and Mark Wood.
Pakistan left out Haider Ali (unfit) and Shahnawaz Dahani to bring Asif Ali and Naseem Shah.
Teams
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim
England: Moeen Ali (captain), Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Olly Stone, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Willey
Umpires: Asif Yaqoob (PAK) and Faisal Afridi (PAK)
TV umpire: Rashid Riaz (PAK)
Match referee: Ahsan Raza (PAK)
