Sahibzada Farhan's 63, Dawson's 3-fer Highlight Tense Pak-Eng Super 8 Clash

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. However, the decision proved challenging as England's attack, led by the clinical Liam Dawson and a fiery Jofra Archer, consistently broke partnerships.

England struck early when Jofra Archer dismissed Saim Ayub (7) in the third over, caught by Jacob Bethell. The pressure intensified when Liam Dawson removed the Pakistan captain, Salman Ali Agha (5), leaving Pakistan at 27/2 in 3.3 overs. Despite the early losses, Sahibzada Farhan (63 runs off 45 balls) and Babar Azam (25 runs off 24 balls) somewhat stabilised the innings, guiding the team to 46/2 by the end of the Powerplay.

Sahibzada Farhan was the standout performer for Pakistan. He played a patient yet calculated knock, reaching his half-century in 37 balls.

During his innings, Farhan broke a record by hitting his 13th six of the tournament--the most by any Pakistani in a single T20 World Cup edition. Sahibzada Farhan also became the second Pakistani batter to have three or more 50-plus scores in a WC edition after Babar Azam (4) in 2021.

Sahibzada Farhan shared a 46-run stand with Babar Azam before Jamie Overton cleaned up the former captain for 25.

Just as Pakistan looked to accelerate, Jamie Overton struck again, trapping the dangerous Sahibzada LBW in the 16th over. From 122/3, Pakistan suffered a significant slide as Fakhar Zaman (25) fell to Adil Rashid after a brief cameo. Liam Dawson turned the game on its head in the 18th over, dismissing Usman Khan and Mohammad Nawaz in consecutive deliveries in the 18th over, while Jofra Archer returned to remove Shaheen Afridi for 2.

Shadab Khan provided a late spark with a brisk 23 off 11 balls, including four boundaries, as Pakistan ended with 164/9 in 20 overs.

Liam Dawson's 3/24 in 4 overs was the pick of the efforts by the Three Lions' bowlers.

- ANI