Pakistan secured a remarkable victory against England in Lahore on Sunday, overturning a seemingly impossible situation to reach the tri-series final. With the team reeling at 154 for 9 in pursuit of a 242-run target,
The match appeared to be firmly in England's control when Rauf joined Shadab at the crease. However, the pair defied the visitors' bowling attack, with Shadab taking the lead in scoring while Rauf provided crucial support. Rauf remained unbeaten on seven, eventually hitting the winning runs to complete the turnaround. The 89-run stand established a new record for the highest 10th-wicket partnership in a successful ODI chase, surpassing the previous mark of 64 set by Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts in 1975.
Shadab's maiden century anchors historic chase
Shadab Khan’s individual performance was central to the result, as he struck his maiden ODI century. His innings of 113 from 96 balls proved decisive, allowing Pakistan to recover from a top-order collapse. England’s bowlers had initially dominated, removing Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Babar Azam within the powerplay to leave the hosts in a precarious position before the late-order heroics shifted the momentum.
Shaheen Afridi leads bowling effort
Earlier in the day, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi spearheaded a disciplined bowling display to limit England to 241 all out. Despite a difficult start that saw England reduced to 19 for 3, Ben Duckett anchored the innings with a fighting 105 off 111 deliveries. Duckett found support from Sam Curran, who contributed 42 runs during a 93-run fifth-wicket partnership, while Gus Atkinson added an unbeaten 36 to bolster the total.
Shaheen concluded his spell with figures of 4 for 46, while ODI debutant Razaullah provided valuable support by claiming 2 for 38. England, who were desperate for a win to remain in contention for the tournament, were eventually dismissed in 46.4 overs. The result confirms Pakistan's place in the tri-series final, while England’s campaign concludes following their third consecutive defeat.
