Saturday was the day when England thrashed Pakistan by 23 runs at Edgbaston in the second T20 international, all thanks to a fantastic knock from the captain Jos Buttler, who scored 84 runs.
With regard to the playing conditions, Buttler got maximum benefit. He made 84 off 51 balls with eight fours and three sixes.
The opener’s half-century came from a deliberate scoop shot that has become his hallmark off a fast bowled yorker by Haris Rauf.
Buttler got support from Will Jacks who scored 37 runs and Jonny Bairstow added 21. Despite collapsing of the middle order; Jofra Archer stood tall in the final over as he hit Mohammad Amir for four and six so that England finished on 183-7.
Moeen Ali caught Mohammad Rizwan for a duck in only the first over while Saim Ayub holed out deep mid-wicket leaving Pakistan at 14/2.
Fakhar Zaman and skipper Babar Azam (32) scored freely to stitch together a fifty-three run partnership off just twenty-eight balls but Moeen returned to bowl Azam lbw. Zaman fell for a well-made forty-five from just twenty-one balls leaving Pakistan on one hundred for six wickets..
Iftikhar Ahmed (23) and Imad Wasim (22) provided resistance but unfortunately, Pakistan tail could not get close enough to the target as they were bowled out for one hundred sixty.
Archer (2-28) also claimed his first scalp since returning after fourteen months of injury layoff due to an elbow problem when he had both Azam Khan and Wasim caught in the covers.
It rained through out without even start play in first match of this four game series. The next two games will be played on Tuesday and Thursday before England travel to United States and West Indies to defend their T20 World Cup title.
