Adil Rashid's career-best figures and a stingy spell from Moeen Ali restricted the visitors to an underwhelming 154 for six in England's T20 decider against Pakistan at Emirates Old Trafford.
Leg-spinner Rashid worked his magic with four for 35 and Moeen choked the scoring with one for 19 from his four overs, as England once again relied on their slow bowlers to control proceedings.
England had dropped another in-form wrist-spinner, Matt Parkinson, on his home ground but had all-rounder Liam Livingstone on hand as a third slow option.
Another for Adil Rashid! The @englandcricket spinner finishes with figures of 4/35 ⭐#ENGvPAK | https://t.co/7m0WZX0gVC pic.twitter.com/2pua614gG8 — ICC (@ICC) July 20, 2021
Mohammad Rizwan batted through the innings with 76 not out from 57 balls but was fighting a lone hand at times.
Pakistan made 40 off their first five overs, with Rizwan launching a couple of full-blooded sixes off Saqib Mahmood and Chris Jordan.
But his partner, the ever-dependable Babar Azam, was not himself. He could have gone to successive balls from Jordan, a thick edge and a mis-timed pull, and was frustrated by a lack of strike.
How do you pick this?! 🤯 Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/An6CPmLibB 🏴 #ENGvPAK 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/W2eCyjcP9k — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 20, 2021
When Morgan threw the last powerplay over to Rashid, Babar threw caution to the wind but an adventure down the pitch saw him bamboozled by a googly and stumped by Jos Buttler.
Sohaib Maqsood started confidently, sending two of his first four balls from Rashid to the ropes, but when the battle resumed after a change of ends the result was decisive. Looking for a big blow down the ground, Maqsood could only pick out Jason Roy at long-on.
Even when Rashid got it wrong, he got it right, with middle-order veteran Mohammad Hafeez flailing a drag down straight to Jonny Bairstow at deep square-leg three balls later. Pakistan had drifted to 69 for three in the ninth, with one man to blame for their plight.
FIFTY! @iMRizwanPak brings up his 8th T20I half-century 👏#ENGvPAK | #HarHaalMainCricket | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/oE1ooFeU0h — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2021
Rizwan moved along to a 38-ball half-century but with the ball gripping, Moeen and Livingstone were able to assume full control.
Moeen worked through his four overs of precise off-breaks without a single boundary conceded, crowning his miserly spell with an lbw against Fakhar Zaman (24).
Surprisingly, Rashid had never taken four wickets in a T20I before but rectified that with his final delivery as Shadab Khan holed out. Rizwan carried his bat but when Jordan allowed only five off the 20th over, his effort did not look like being enough.
