CARDIFF: England beat Pakistan by nine wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Thursday.
England were chasing 142 and reach the target with nine wickets in hand. Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley scored fifties while Saqib Mahmood picked a four-wicket haul.
Malan and Philip Salt started England’s chase after finishing Pakistan’s innings on 141. Even though it was a very inexperienced batting line-up for the host, the target set by Pakistan was below par and that it was an easy chase for Three Lions.
Player of the match Mahmood took an ODI best 4-42 as Pakistan were skittled out for just 141 with more than 14 overs left to bat.
England were fielding a completely changed XI from their previous ODI — the first time this had happened to any side in the 50-year history of the format — after a Covid-19 outbreak within their existing squad during a recent 2-0 series win at home to Sri Lanka required all 16 players originally selected to play against Pakistan to self-isolate.
In addition, injuries to the likes of fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Olly Stone and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler meant they were effectively without two first-choice XIs.
Yet their C team dominated from the moment Mahmood took a wicket with the first ball of the match — and then dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the world s top-ranked ODI batsman, for a duck with the third ball.
Playing first, Pakistan set 142 runs target after english bowlers took quick wickets as they led an attack against Pakistan.
