Pakistan vs England, T20 World Cup Highlights: Ben Stokes led England to victory with his first ever T20I half century, helping them get past a fired up Pakistan at the MCG.
- England seal their second T20 World Cup triumph.
- Pakistan won the 2009 edition, and England were the champions in 2010.
- These sides met for the first time in the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan vs England, T20 World Cup Highlights: Pakistan may have only been able to score 137/8 but they made sure that England had to crawl their way to their second T20 World Cup title. Star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was also a protagonist in England’s 2019 World Cup final win, hit the winning runs and scored his first-ever T20I half century in the process. He finished on 52 off 49 balls. Pakistan looked capable of defending the total when they dialled up the pressure but Stokes and Moeen Ali turned it around with some big hits in the last five overs. Earlier, it was Sam Curran who led the way for England with figures of 3/12.
“Congratulations to England, they fought well. We felt like home here, got great support at every venue. Thanks for your support. I just told the boys to play our natural game, but we fell 20 runs short and the boys fought well with the ball. Our bowling is one of the best attacks in the world. Unfortunately Shaheen’s injury put us off, but that’s part of the game.”
Worthy champions
England is now the first team to hold both white-ball World Cups. Their brand of attacking cricket has transformed the way the game is played in this format. Crucially, it’s a style that’s become so ingrained in the team’s mentality that it isn’t affected by changes in personnel. There’s been a change in captain and coach since their win in the 2019 ODI World Cup but the approach remains the same.
They were always in control of this final. Sam Curran was the standout performer, but there were important contributions from numerous players – Rashid, Stokes, Ali, Jordan – strewn across the XI.
They’ve already picked up two World Cup medals, and if they keep playing the same way, there’ll be a few more to come.
‘Best day of my life’: Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali has called it the best day of his life.
“As a team, we’ve deserved it over a long period of time. It was about keeping my intent, if I was going to get out, it was to get out being positive.”