Daily Times

SOUTHAMPTON: Azhar Ali’s highest ODI score since making a century against Zimbabwe in Lahore last May, and some effective scampering from Sarfraz Ahmed, lifted Pakistan to 260 for 6 in the first match of the Royal London ODI series at the Ageas Bowl. Adil Rashid picked up two wickets for England and Mark Wood made an encouraging return to the side, as the pace bowlers kept a tight rein on the Pakistan scoring at the death.
Pakistan had decided to make first use of an oatmeal-coloured surface, with Azhar perhaps hoping for some assistance later in the day for his spinners. The captain fell for 82, his first ODI half-century in 13 innings, and although he could not push on to three figures himself, he provided the top-order platform that Pakistan have so often lacked in recent encounters and glued the innings together for long enough to allow Sarfraz to lead the charge – although it never really materialised as the clouds swept in and the floodlights came on.
Azhar put on half-century stands with Babar Azam and Sarfraz, following a cagey opening in which Wood’s pace caught the eye, but after a 20-minute rain delay Pakistan lost their way during the last ten overs. Sarfraz and Shoaib Malik perished in identical fashion, chipping wastefully to mid-off, and Chris Woakes was particularly impressive as the southpaw allrounders Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim struggled to raise the tempo.
From 199 for 4 after 40 overs, they could only manage to add a further 61 runs, giving them the lowest first-innings total in an ODI at the Ageas Bowl (from a full 50 overs) since England made 256 for 6 against Pakistan in 2010. Pakistan failed to clear the ropes at all and only four boundaries were scored in the final ten; only four runs came from the last over, bowled by Liam Plunkett.
Wood, making his first international appearance since England’s tour of the UAE last year, was consistently above 90mph in his opening spell – his ankle no longer impeding his ability to throw his body through the crease – and he claimed the first wicket of the day, Sharjeel Khan getting a thin top edge on a pull, confirmed by the Snickometer after a review, after biffing a few early boundaries.
Pakistan finished the ten-over Powerplay on 45 for 1, though Azhar was a touch fortunate to still be at the crease after twice being dropped on 9. The first, off the bowling of Woakes, was a straightforward chance to Alex Hales in the gully – though he gestured that he hadn’t picked the ball out of the crowd – and then in the following over, Plunkett’s first, Jos Buttler could not hold on to a leg-side nick diving one-handed to his left.
England snuffled out a bonus wicket through Joe Root’s part-time offspin, as Mohammad Hafeez did little to suggest the change to a white ball would improve his form by top-edging a casual-looking sweep straight to deep backward square leg, but Azhar and Azam found their range with a 61-run stand in 70 balls to take Pakistan into three figures.
The nimble-footed Azam scored two-thirds of those runs and was looking increasingly fluent but, a ball after carting a dragged-down Rashid delivery just short of the rope at wide long-on, he received a poor decision from umpire Simon Fry. Defending with bat close to his front pad, replays revealed a clear inside edge but, with Sharjeel having wasted Pakistan’s one review, Azam had to make his way off lbw to Rashid for 40.
The default setting for Pakistan’s limited-overs captain seems to be “under pressure” but Azhar had accepted the situation with a laugh and a shrug on the eve of the match. Without a series win since beating Zimbabwe 2-1 in October, Azhar had also not passed fifty in over a year, so the sight of Pakistan’s leader raising his bat in the 29th over was heartening for a healthy contingent of flag-waving supporters at the Ageas Bowl – even if it took 84 balls to get there.
Azhar attempted to forge on after reaching his half-century, bludgeoning five more boundaries over the course of the next six overs to take his stand with Sarfraz to 65, but he was then undone by a some extra bounce for Rashid, a top edge looping to Moeen Ali running across from short third man.
Moeen was one of four players returning to England’s ODI XI, while Pakistan made one change to the side that hammered Ireland by 255 runs last week: Wahab Riaz replacing the debutant seamer Hasan Ali. There was no place for Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker during the Test series with England.
England’s team was largely as expected, with Ben Stokes making his first ODI appearance of the summer, playing as a specialist batsman at the expense of Jonny Bairstow. James Vince – who is not in the squad – David Willey and Chris Jordan all dropped out of the team that beat Sri Lanka at Cardiff in July, with Alex Hales, Moeen and Wood coming back in.
Courtesy: CRICinfo