England beat Pakistan & won the T20 World Cup. England wobbled in the chase, needing 138 to win the trophy for the second time, thanks to some tough fast-bowling by Pakistan, but Ben Stokes scored a half-century to carry the team home on Sunday in Melbourne.
England beat Pakistan
England reversed the tables on Pakistan thirty years after losing the 50-over ODI World Cup final at the same venue, thanks to excellent death bowling and Stokes’ heroics. Pakistan fell in the last overs to finish on a below-par 137 for eight after England skipper Jos Buttler brought them in to bat. All-rounder Sam Curran took 3-12.
The torrential rain predicted did not fall on the MCG as England, driven by the unflappable Stokes, chased down the total with six balls to spare. Curran was selected match and tournament player of the year. England has become the first country to win both global white-ball trophies, having won the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019.
England’s disciplined bowling
Earlier, England used disciplined and economical bowling to defeat the 2009 winners, with Shan Masood scoring 38. As England opted to field, Stokes was given the new ball. Pakistan was fortunate to survive the over unscathed after opener Rizwan was almost run out aiming for a dangerous single.
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In their semi-final against New Zealand, Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam shared a century partnership, but another huge stand was not to be, with Rizwan pulling a ball from Curran onto his stumps on 15. Rashid’s entrance immediately after the six-over powerplay had immediate dividends, with Mohammad Haris (8) charging him on his first delivery only to fly a routine catch to Stokes.
Masood got his bat going in the second half of the game, smashing a four and a six against Liam Livingstone. But Rashid struck again, this time with a diving catch from his own bowling to grab the key wicket of Azam, who scored 32 off 28 balls. Ahmed lasted only six balls before Masood and Shadab Khan (20) went in the space of two runs as Curran and Chris Jordan snuffed out any prospect of a late burst from Pakistan.
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In response, England fell to 49-3 in the sixth over as they battled to establish momentum against a ferocious pace assault, with boundaries challenging to come by. However, Stokes (52 not out) and Moeen Ali (19) used their experience and calm heads to lead England to 138-5 with six balls to spare, capping off a thrilling campaign that covered 45 games over a month.
“In finals, especially when pursuing, you probably forget all of the hard work that has gone before.” Bowlers must take a lot of credit for keeping them under 130. “We won the game because of Adil Rashid and Sam Curran,” Stokes remarked. “It was a pleasant evening. It’s an honor to represent your nation in World Cups, and this one has been fantastic.”