England secured a commanding victory over Pakistan in the 4th T20I at Kennington Oval in London. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, England restricted Pakistan to 157 in 19.5 overs and chased down the target with ease, completing the win in just 15.3 overs with seven wickets in hand. The match saw some exceptional performances from both sides, but it was Mark Wood‘s fiery spell that stole the spotlight.
Mark Wood’s vicious bouncer dismisses Azam Khan
In his first T20 appearance since the Indian Premier League (IPL), Wood showcased his blistering pace, consistently hitting 96mph in his opening overs. The highlight of his spell came when he dismissed Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Azam Khan with a vicious bouncer. Azam, who walked in after Shadab Khan‘s departure in the 10th over with Pakistan at 84/4, struggled to cope with Wood’s pace.
Facing Wood’s second delivery of the over, Azam got into an uncomfortable position against a searing short ball. The ball, clocked at 96mph, squared him up, hitting his glove before being safely caught by England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler. Azam departed for a five-ball duck, unable to score any runs off the fearsome delivery.
Here is the video:
Absolute savagery from Mark Wood 🤯#EnglandCricket | #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/zrrksjNF95
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2024
Babar Azam urges middle-order improvement after the loss
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam reflected on Pakistan’s performance in the 4th T20I against England, highlighting that they started strong in the first six overs but lost momentum due to losing wickets. He emphasized the need for the middle-order to improve and deliver crucial overs both in the middle and towards the end of the innings.
Babar acknowledged the effectiveness of England’s bowling and expressed hope that such a performance wouldn’t be repeated in the upcoming World Cup. He also mentioned that injuries led to some changes in the lineup but noted that Pakistan showed glimpses of good cricket, especially during the powerplay.
“First six overs, we played very well. After that, the momentum shifted as wickets fell. Our middle-order needs to step up. You need 2-3 good overs in the middle and in the death as well. England’s bowling was very good. Hopefully we don’t do this in the World Cup. We made a couple of changes due to the injuries. Our powerplay was good. We have played good cricket in patches,” said Babar in the post-match presentation.
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