Pakistan has taken the lead in the ongoing T20 series after beating visitors England on Wednesday by six runs. Pakistan, who is hosting England for the first time in a long while, was helped by Mohammed Rizwan’s 63 from 46, his fourth half-century in this series. Even though skipper Moeen Ali helped England with a half-century, it was not enough to prevent them from losing for the second time this week. England would have to win the next match, holding on Friday, to lead the series to a decider; otherwise, a win for Pakistan would mean that they are the winners of the series. 

England had a poor start on Wednesday, which contributed to their failure. They were chasing 146 to claim victory, but a series of mistakes on their part and excellent play from Pakistan saw them finishing with 139-7 and 20 overs against Pakistan’s 145 and 19 overs. 

Part of England’s failure could also be attributed to the fact that they were missing some of their key players, including Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Liam Livingstone. The presence of these four men on the team may have made a lot of difference, not just on Wednesday but on Sunday as well. 

Mark Wood, who claimed 3-20, did a lot for England on Wednesday, even though it did not culminate in a win. Woods, who had been out of cricket for six months following an elbow injury, was responsible for taking out several Pakistan players, and his performance was the key highlight for England. 

Commenting after the match, Ali, who was standing as captain for Buttler, expressed disappointment that they could not chase enough runs, adding, “we feel we are a better team than that. We got stranded with their spinners and couldn’t get going”.