Pakistan’s fast-bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi led from the front with a devastating spell of seam bowling as the hosts systematically dismantled a flat England batting lineup inside 47 overs, bundling them out for 241 during the fourth match of the ODI tri-series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Playing on an afternoon filled with vibrant color as the Pakistan team donned resplendent pink kits to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the hosts finally experienced a change of fortune by winning their first toss of the series. Electing to field first on a fresh pitch, Pakistan immediately reaped the rewards of their decision as their pace battery tore through the top order during a frantic opening hour.
Four wickets fell inside the first Powerplay alone, setting a dominant tone for the rest of the innings and leaving England reeling at 53 for 4. Afridi spearheaded the early destruction, striking in the very first over of the match. He induced the in-form Tom Banton into playing a tame, mistimed scoop that traveled straight to short cover, a dismissal that also marked a major career milestone as Afridi claimed his 150th ODI wicket.
The pressure intensified instantly in the following over when former England captain Joe Root fell in uncharacteristically soft fashion. Root attempted to guide a sharp delivery from Afridi down to backward point, but only succeeded in slicing it, allowing Saim Ayub to dive forward and pluck out a brilliant, low catch inches off the grass.
England’s mounting crisis worsened dramatically shortly afterward through a moment of sheer disaster involving Harry Brook. A mix-up and a clumsy call for a risky second run exposed Brook to the brilliance of Razaullah’s rocket arm from the outfield. Though Brook attempted to accelerate back, he was hindered slightly by a small slip on the fresh turf, and the subsequent direct throw from the deep caught him well short of his crease to leave England in complete disarray.
Jordan Cox attempted to steady the innings during a brief, stuttering stay at the crease, but his resistance was short-lived. He poked tentatively at an angled delivery from Afridi, steering the ball straight to first slip. With four wickets down inside the first ten overs, England found themselves staring down the barrel at a humiliating total, requiring an immense rebuilding effort from their middle order.
That monumental rescue mission fell upon the shoulders of Ben Duckett and Sam Curran, who adopted a steely and resolute determination to drag their side out of immediate peril. Duckett, having watched the top-order carnage unfold from the non-striker’s end, refused to let himself become bogged down by the early setbacks. Instead, he took the aggressive route against Razaullah and successfully rode out the remaining threat of Afridi’s opening spell.
Batting at better than a run a ball, Duckett played a masterfully composed knock that looked all the more impressive due to the stark contrast between his fluent stroke-play and the struggles of his teammates. He quickly forced Pakistan to remove Saim Ayub from the bowling attack and anchored the innings through the middle overs as Salman Agha and Shadab Khan probed with tight spin.
Curran matched his partner’s application, digging in deeply to ensure England crossed the three-figure mark and brought up an invaluable 50-run partnership. As the stand neared the century mark, the pair began to shift gears, eyeing a late-innings flourish that could push England toward a competitive total.
Sensing the danger of a fully revived partnership, Pakistan captain Salman Agha re-introduced Afridi into the attack, a move that immediately broke the game open. While Afridi may have arguably delayed turning back to his premier strike bowler or leaned too heavily on spin during the middle phases, he quickly rectified the situation by peppering Curran with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries. Curran’s visible discomfort against the rising ball proved to be his undoing, as he ultimately miscued a pull shot to hole out in the outfield, ending a crucial 92-run partnership for the fifth wicket and giving Pakistan the opening they desperately needed.
Despite losing his partner, Duckett continued to hold the fort against a persistent Pakistan bowling attack. He successfully reached a magnificent century by driving Arafat Minhas down the ground. Minhas, who had somewhat curiously been held back by the team management until the 29th over despite possessing a superior record against left-handers, finally made his mark in the following over. He tempted Duckett into a top-edge that looped high into the air, allowing Salman to take a comfortable catch behind square.
Minhas quickly followed up that breakthrough by making short work of Jamie Overton, while Razaullah wrapped up further resistance by cleaning up Liam Dawson with a sharp caught-and-bowled dismissal.
With England languishing just above the 200-run mark and sitting precariously one wicket away from being completely bowled out, Gus Atkinson ensured that the visitors would head back to the pavilion with some semblance of momentum. Atkinson unleashed a series of lusty blows in the tail-end of the innings, cobbling together an important 40-run partnership for the 10th wicket alongside the final batsman.
That late flurry stood as the second-highest partnership of the entire innings, a statistical footnote that highlighted the scale of England’s top-order collapse on an afternoon where the hosts’ bowling unit ran rampant in Lahore. Pakistan now requires 240 runs from 48.1 overs to secure a comprehensive victory in the fourth match of the series.
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