Shadabs Century and Record-Breaking Last-Wicket Stand Power Pakistan Past England into Final

An incredible comeback from the brink of defeat! Just when the fall of Pakistan’s ninth wicket seemed to seal their fate, all-rounder Shadab Khan produced an epic performance with the bat. Joined by No. 11 batter Haris Rauf, he scripted a historic partnership that will be remembered in cricket history.

Chasing England’s target of 242, Pakistan were in deep trouble at 154 for 9. However, an unbeaten 89-run partnership for the last wicket guided them to an unforgettable one-wicket victory. The win not only set a world record for the highest 10th-wicket partnership in a successful run chase but also secured Pakistan’s place in the final of the tri-nation ODI series.

Playing his first match of the tournament, Shadab Khan delivered a magical unbeaten innings of 113 off 96 balls. Haris Rauf remained not out on 7 off 19 deliveries, but it was his bat that produced the decisive boundary to seal the victory. Pakistan reached 243 for 9 in 47.1 overs to complete the remarkable chase.

Earlier, after being put in to bat, England struggled against Shaheen Shah Afridi’s devastating bowling. Having slumped to 52 for 4, the English side relied on opener Ben Duckett to steady the innings. Holding one end together, Duckett played a brilliant knock of 105 off 111 balls. He also shared a 93-run fifth-wicket partnership with Sam Curran, who contributed 42, to help England recover from the early collapse.

However, Shaheen Afridi and Rajabullah continued to strike at regular intervals, leaving England nine wickets down before they could cross the 200-run mark. Thanks to Gus Atkinson’s unbeaten 36, England eventually managed to score 241 before being bowled out in 46.4 overs. For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi claimed four wickets for 46 runs, while Rajabullah took two for 38.

Pakistan got off to a disastrous start in their chase of 242. Jamie Overton’s fiery spell put them on the back foot as both openers, Fakhar Zaman (10) and Saim Ayub (6), along with star batter Babar Azam, departed with the score at just 31. Youngster Saad Baig, who scored 32, attempted to offer some resistance, but Pakistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals against the disciplined bowling of England spinners Liam Dawson and Will Jacks.

When Pakistan slumped to 154 for 9 in the 34th over, the match appeared to be firmly in England’s hands. But that was when Shadab launched his remarkable fightback. Protecting tailender Haris Rauf, Shadab took responsibility for most of the strike and began to attack the English bowlers. He confidently negotiated the pace attack and continued to find the boundary, keeping Pakistan’s hopes alive.

The drama, however, was far from over. With Pakistan needing 21 runs for victory, Shadab was given out leg-before-wicket off Gus Atkinson’s bowling. Although he initially started walking back to the pavilion, he decided to review the decision at the last moment. Replays showed that the ball had taken the inside edge of his bat, overturning the decision and giving him a dramatic reprieve.

Shadab made the most of the second chance, reaching his maiden ODI century with 12 fours and one six. Finally, in the 48th over, Haris Rauf struck Henry Crocombe straight to the boundary to seal Pakistan’s incredible victory.

This was England’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament. They had lost their opening match to Pakistan by 87 runs before suffering another defeat in their second game, despite captain Harry Brook’s double century off 114 balls, as Sri Lanka pulled off a record-breaking run chase.