Glenn Maxwell's innings against Afghanistan in the 2023 World ODI Cup held in India is still fresh in the minds of the fans. Maxwell scored a double century and made Australia win the lost game. Shadab Khan has played similar innings against England. While chasing the target of 242 runs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan team had lost 9 wickets at the score of 154. At this time, Pakistan team had to score 88 runs in 97 balls to win and its defeat was considered almost certain. However, Shadab Khan, who was playing after scoring 32 runs, and Haris Rauf, who had just arrived at the crease, had different intentions.
Shadab, along with Rauf, gave a miraculous victory to Pakistan by making a partnership of 89 runs in 80 balls for the last wicket. Shadab, who has been the target of critics in recent times, scored 81 runs alone in this partnership. Rauf hit the winning four. Shadab returned unbeaten after scoring 113 runs in 96 balls. He hit 13 fours and 5 sixes during his memorable innings. Rauf contributed 7 unbeaten runs in 19 balls.
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When the breath of Pak fans stopped
In the last 5 overs, Pakistan needed only 27 runs to win. Shadab hit a six on the first ball of the 45th over. Gus Atkinson dodged Shadab on the next ball and hit the ball on his pads. England made a strong appeal for LBW and the umpire stood up. The entire Gaddafi Stadium became silent. Shadab used the review. Replays to the TV umpire showed that the ball had hit the pad with a fine edge of Shadab's bat. The on-field umpire had to change his decision and the Pakistani fans came to life.
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Ben Duckett's century turned upside down
England had a very bad start when they were invited to bat first. The English team had lost 4 wickets at the score of 52, which included the big wickets of captain Harry Brook and Joe Root. Ben Duckett took charge from one end and saved England from collapse cheaply by playing an innings of 105 runs in 111 balls. Gus Atkinson played an unbeaten inning of 36 runs with the help of 3 sixes in 28 balls, taking England beyond 240. He was leading England towards a strong score by batting brilliantly but kept getting batted out from the other end and the English team's innings was reduced to 46.4 overs.
Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals in the run chase. Out of his top-6 batsmen, 5 scored in double digits but no one could play a big innings. As soon as Salman Ali Aga (26) was out as the seventh wicket on the score of 122, Pakistani fans started leaving the stadium and going home but Shadab did not lose courage and snatched the victory from the jaws of England.