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Jos Buttler’s scintillating knock (84 off 51) and Jofra Archer’s comeback performance (2/28) propelled England to a comfortable 23-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20I o༒f the four-match series, played at Edgbaston on Sunday.
England sets a 184-run target
Put in to bat first, England got off to a decent start, thanks to contributions from Philip Salt (13) and Will Jacks (37). However, it was the Buttler show that stole the spotlight. The England skipper took 🍨the Pakistani attack to the cleaners, finding the boundary with ease. Jonny Bairstow (21) also chipped in with ✱valuable runs.
Shaheen Afridi (3/36) was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers, picking up 🦹crucial wicket✃s at regular intervals. Imad Wasim and Haris Rauf also bagged two wickets each.
Pakistan falls short despite Fakhar Zaman’s blitz
Chasing a target of 184, Pakistan’s top order crumbled under pressure. Mohammad Rizwan (0) and Saim Ayub (2) fell cheaply, leaving a mountain to climb for the middle order.
Babar Azam (32) and Fakhar Zaman (45) tried to steady the ship with a 53-run partnershꦜi🃏p. While Azam fell to Moeen Ali (2/26), Zaman continued his aggressive batting, smashing five fours and three sixes in his quickfire knock.
However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, and Pakistan’s chase eventually fell short. Wasim (22) and Iftikhar Ahmed (23) offered some late resistance, but it wasn’t enough. Reece Topley (3/41) and Archer (2/28) were the most successful bowlers for England.
Also READ: Here’s why England captain Jos Buttler will miss a few T20Is against Pakistan
With this win, England lead the four-match T20I series 1-0. The series opener was abandoned due to 🔜persistent rain in Leeds. The third match will be played on Tuesday, May💝 28th, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
England 1 – 0 Pakistan courtesy Boss Buttler 🔥
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals)
WELL PLAYED, JOS BUTTLER 🌟
– 84 runs from 51 balls, What a knock 👏👏
— 🇵🇰 Xsa Khan 💕 (@XsaKhan)
Great to have you back 🏏
— Tom Haylett (@TomJHaylett)
Great to see Jofr꧃a Archer back in action with pace 🔥
— Asfand (@AliIsfand425)
J🍷ofra archer cꦑomes back to the international stage with a roar!
— Deepesh Kumar (@deepesh_kumar_4)
Welcome back 💪
You bring the competition ❤️🔥
— Sachin Singh (@Sachin___Singh)
Well done wish I could have met you 😭
— sameeha 🐳 (@sameeha0102)
HIGHEST STR🦹IKE RATES IN T20I CRICKET : (minimum 3000 runs)
144.99 – JOS BUTTLER
142.67 – David Warner
142.53 – Aaron Finch
139.97 – Rohit Sharma
138.15 – Virat KohliFind 2 imposters in this list
— Saud Nawaz (@saudnawax)
Jofra Archer impresses on comeback as Jos Buttler makes the difference in 23-run win.
Congratulation England— Dr Adnan Ghori (Insaf Doctors Forum 🇬�♈�) (@dradnanghori)
Jofra Archer 🅷made a statement on his comeback with a bril💜liant spell. He is going to be a huge boost for England..
— Satish Mishra 🇮🇳 (@SATISHMISH78)
This is how you play a T20 cricket, A captain's knock from Jos Buttler!
— Aqdas Rehman (@AqdasRehman)
Jofra Archer on his return:
1st Over: 15 Runs
Next 3 Overs: 13 Runs + 2wktsLooked in Goodꦗ rhythm, bowled mostly ♓hard length and cutters! So happy to see him back!
— Kumar Gourav (@TheKumarGourav)
