Ben Stokes Steers England To 2nd T20 World Cup Title; Beat Pakistan By 5 Wickets

PAK vs ENG: England all-rounder Ben Stokes yet again rose from the ashes, as he took England to a 5-wicket win in the finals of T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan. After T20 World Cup 2010, this is England's second T20 World Cup title since the tournament's inception in 2007.

Chasing 138 runs to win, England lost in form explosive opener Alex Hales (1) in the very first over. Jos Buttler attacked and smacked 3 fours and six to counterattack, but England lost Phil Salt (10) in the 4th over. Buttler was also dismissed in the 6th over after scoring 26 runs off 17 balls. 

Harry Brook held the crease for a while with his 23-ball-20 run knock before Shadab Khan got the breakthrough in the 13th over. Moeen Ali got together with Ben Stokes as these two etched a partnership of 47 runs in 33 balls for the 5th wicket and took England closer to the title. 

Even though the English bowlers struggled against a quality bowling performance by Pakistan, Ben Stokes, with a bit of luck and lot of patience, scratched through with singles and remained on the crease, completing the game with an over left. Shaheen Afridi suffered an injury and bowled just 2.1 overs, which proved to be a turning point in the match. Stokes scored 52 runs off 49 balls with 5 fours & a six. 

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf picked up 2 wickets while Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jr managed 1 wicket each. In the first innings, With an excellent bowling performance, England brought upon wreath on Pakistan batters, restricting them to 137/8 in 20 overs. England now need 138 runs in 20 overs to lift their 2nd T20 World Cup title. 

Pakistan openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam went off to a cautious start as these two added 29 runs in 4.1 overs. England all-rounder Sam Curran, who's been in excellent form in this tournament, bowled Rizwan to grab a big wicket for his team.

Rizwan was dismissed after scoring 15 runs off 14 balls with a six. Explosive batter Mohammad Haris didn't look comfortable at the crease and was dismissed for just 8 runs off 12 balls. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who found good form in the semi-finals match against New Zealand, smacked 32 runs off 28 balls with 2 fours before spinner Adil Rashid got the better of him in the 12th over.

From 84/3 in 11.1 overs, Pakistan went on to crumble to 131/8 in 20 overs. Shan Masood was the top scorer with 38 runs off 28 balls with 2 fours & a six. Shadab Khan contributed with 20 runs off 14 deliveries. For England, Sam Curran picked up 3 wickets, giving away just 12 runs in his 4 overs. Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan grabbed 2 wickets each while Ben Stokes also managed a wicket. 

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Earlier, England captain Jos Buttler won the toss & opted to bowl first in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022. This match is being played at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. 

Brief Score:

• PAK – 137/8 (Masood - 38(28), Curran - 3/12)
• ENG – 138/5 in 19 overs (Stokes - 52*(49), Rauf - 2/23)