England captain Eoin Morgan was surprisingly on a losing side after a long time. Credit to the way Pakistan have played in the game, they left England little chance to bounce back.
After winning the toss, England skipper have put Pakistan into bat. Post the batting collapse against West Indies, Pakistan approached this game completely differently. Openers Imam Ul Haq and Fakhar Zaman gave them a solid start. Their 82 run partnership laid the foundation for a massive total.
On the other hand, middle order batsmen Babar Azam, Mohammed Hafeez and Sarfaraz Ahmed have all hit their strides. The trio managed to score fifties and ensured there are no hiccups in their innings. Some quick scoring at the end helped Pakistan reach 348/8.
Chasing 349, England lost four wickets for just 118 on the board. However, Joe Root along with Jos Buttler stabilized the innings and brought England back into the game. Both of them, scored centuries but could not see through the innings.
Wahab Riaz stuck twice in the 48th over to dismiss Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes. Eventually, England could not win the game after succumbing to the pressure. Speaking after the game, Eoin Morgan expressed his disappointment over the loss.
“Very good game of cricket. Great advert for the tournament. Extremely disappointed to be at the wrong end especially when it got so tight. Trent Bridge is a high-scoring ground.
“Wasn’t concerned with 350. Wicket was very good, outfield was rapid. We felt if we got going, 350 was achievable. Losing early wickets isn’t ideal. Joe and Jos kept us in it as far as the 40th over.”
Fielding Cost England The Game
Considered as one of the best fielding sides in the world, England had an off day on the field. Their fielders let down some easy chances and were sloppy. Eoin Morgan was quick to recognize this and felt it as the difference between the sides on the day.
“Thought we were outfielded today. Probably the difference between the sides. It was way below par today. Probably cost us 15-20 runs.
However, the English skipper credited Pakistan bowlers for their efforts. Although, Jos Buttler and Joe Root kept them in the game, 349 is way too big off a total to chase down in a world cup game.
“They bowled well. We got a considerable partnership to stay in the game. All round today we weren’t that bad. Pakistan played well. Sides will beat each other. Don’t think many sides will go unbeaten. Going to be a competitive tournament. Looking forward to Bangladesh.”
England will play against Bangladesh on Saturday. The hosts will look to make a comeback with a win and keep hold of their favorites tag.