Chris Woakes was the star for England as he claimed five wickets in Headingley as the hosts beat Pakistan by 54 runs to win the fifth one-day international. They, thus, clinched the 5-match series 4-0 and vindicated their favourites tag ahead of the World Cup. (Complete coverage of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019)
However, the moment of the match came in the 27th over. Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who was batting brilliantly nudged a length ball from leg-spinner Adil Rashid towards short square leg and set off for a quick run. Babar Azam, who was also cruising along at the other end, responded to the captain’s call and sprinted ahead.
Jos Buttler was quick to get to the ball as he picked up the ball, turned and hurled a throw at Adil Rashid. This throw was wide, Rashid collected the ball and then back-flicked it on to the stumps to find Azam short of his crease. This was a pivotal moment in the chase as England then wrested back control of the game and eventually, walked away with the match.
“Winning 4-0 against a very strong Pakistan team is really good for us, going into a crucial World Cup,” man-of-the-match Woakes told Sky Sports.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who top-scored for his side with 97, said: “Result-wise it is not ideal for the World Cup. But the way the batsman are batting we are ready for the World Cup.
“We have taken some positives but we need to sort out our bowling and fielding,” he further added.
First Published: May 20, 2019 11:07 IST
