Shadab's maiden century takes Pakistan into tri-series final

Pakistan came back from 154-9 to beat England by one wicket at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday and reach the final of the One-day International tri-series, Dawn and Geo News reported. Shadab Khan hit an unbeaten 113 off 96 balls, his first ODI century, and shared an unbeaten 89-run stand for the last wicket with Haris Rauf as Pakistan chased down 242 with 2.5 overs to spare, finishing on 243-9 in 47.1 overs.

The chase that almost slipped away

England had been bowled out for 241 in 46.4 overs, and for a long stretch the target looked beyond Pakistan. Fakhar Zaman made 10, Saim Ayub six and Babar Azam 10, all inside the first seven overs. Saad Baig counter-attacked with 32 off 22 balls before falling at 74-4, and Hasan Nawaz (15) and Arafat Minhas (one) went in quick succession. When Salman Ali Agha was caught off Liam Dawson for 26, Pakistan were 121-6, and by the 34th over they were 154-9, still 88 runs short.

Shadab had walked in at 103-5 and spent his early overs settling in. With Haris at the other end he began to attack, driving Gus Atkinson over mid-off, pulling him through deep midwicket and sweeping Dawson for four. His fifty came off 49 balls. The pair brought up the 50-run stand for the last wicket and then kept going, with Shadab refusing singles at times so that he could keep the strike.

A review and a hundred

The innings turned on a moment of luck as much as skill. With Pakistan needing 27, Shadab swept Atkinson for six, and the very next ball was given lbw. He reviewed more out of habit than hope, but UltraEdge showed a spike as the ball passed the bat and the decision was overturned. He then squeezed Atkinson for four to reach his century off 91 balls, hit another boundary, and lifted a six over long-off to leave Pakistan a single hit from victory. Haris, who had faced 18 balls for three runs, drove debutant Henry Crocombe down the ground for the winning four.

Shadab finished with 13 fours and five sixes. Geo News said it was the highest score by a batter at number eight in men’s ODIs, beating the 100 not out shared by Ireland’s Simi Singh and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The last-wicket stand of 89 was also a record for the highest 10th-wicket partnership in a successful ODI chase, passing the 64 added by West Indies’ Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts against Pakistan in 1975.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the team on X, saying the last-wicket partnership “turned the game around” and calling Shadab’s century “spectacular”.

Shaheen’s milestone and Duckett’s century

Pakistan’s bowlers had given them a fighting chance. Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4-46 and reduced England to 19-3 inside five overs, with Tom Banton falling for four, Joe Root making five and captain Harry Brook run out for one. Banton’s wicket was Shaheen’s 150th in ODIs, which he reached in his 80th match. According to Geo News, that makes him the fastest Pakistani pacer to the mark, ahead of Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, who needed 91 matches each, and two games behind the spinner Saqlain Mushtaq’s 78.

Haris removed Jordan Cox for six to leave England on 52-4, but Ben Duckett rebuilt the innings with 105 off 111 balls, his fifth ODI century and his first against Pakistan. He added 93 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran, who made 42, before Arafat Minhas had him caught at short fine leg. Razaullah took two wickets, including his first in ODIs, and Atkinson’s unbeaten 36 off 28 balls lifted England past 200.

What it means for the series

The win seals Pakistan’s place in the October 31 final and adds to a run in which the hosts have beaten Sri Lanka, and beaten England twice. Read our report on Arafat Minhas taking six wickets in the earlier win over England and our tri-series schedule and final details.

Two things stand out. First, the top order has now collapsed twice in the series and been rescued by lower-order batting, which cannot be relied on in a final. Haris Rauf said on the eve of the match that the bowlers must take wickets in the middle overs; read our report on what he said about the middle overs. Second, England have now lost a game they led for long periods, and their bowlers will ask why they could not finish the last wicket.

The question for the final is whether the top six can set up a chase or a total without needing another rescue from the tail. Shaheen’s milestone, meanwhile, shows how much of the bowling attack’s early threat depends on him taking wickets with the new ball.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and Geo News.