England batsman Joe Root played a well-crafted knock to lead England to victory in the second of the five-match One Day International series at Lord’s, London on Saturday.
The middle-order batsman faced 105 balls to score 89 runs and power England’s pursuit of 252 runs, smashing five boundaries.
England skipper Eoin Morgan also scored 68 off 80 balls while all-rounder Ben Stokes contributed 42 runs to help the hosts gain a 2-0 series advantage over Pakistan.
Root, who bats at the one-down slot, brought up his fifty in the 21st over which brightened the hosts’ chances of winning after stuttering earlier on.
Slow-left-arm bowler Imad Wasim was the pick of Pakistan bowlers, bagging two wickets and conceding 38 runs in the seven overs he bowled.
Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir struck on the second ball of the England innings to clean-bowl Jason Roy, who was the host’s highest run-scorer in the first ODI at Southampton.
The Three Lions received another blow at the end of the eighth over as they lost Alex Hales.
The 27-year-old, boasting ODI average of over 70 in the ongoing calendar year, was castled by Imad in an attempt to slog the ball towards the on-side.
Pakistan managed 251 before getting all-out on the penultimate ball against England during the second of the five One-Day Internationals at Lord’s cricket ground due to terrific lower middle-order contributions by Sarfraz Ahmed and Imad.
Sarfraz, who went on to become only Pakistani keeper to score a century in England, was joined by Imad to post a fighting total when the tourists struggled at five down for 125.
Sarfraz, who rotated the strike throughout his 130-ball knock, had scored 49 at 81 when Azam fell. However, Sarfraz continued to anchor Pakistan’s fightback, as he put up two more fifty-plus stands with Shoaib Malik and Imad Wasim, the latter contributing the most.
The sixth wicket stand of 77 runs from 99 balls between Sarfraz and Wasim, which ended with former’s wicket, turned out to be the best of the innings.
Sarfraz, whose 105 had just 22 per cent runs from boundaries, fell in the 43rd over when Pakistan were 202 after scoring his career’s second ODI century.
However, Wasim took the reign, upping his scoring rate towards the end. His handy 63 not out of 70 balls included five fours and a six over third-man boundary off Plunkett.
England: Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood
Pakistan:Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir
