Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
20 | 13 Runs 1 Wkt | World: 177/7 (21 runs required, RR: 8.85)

  • Daren Sammy29 (16b)
  • Ben Cutting0 (0b)
  • Hasan Ali4-0-44-0
  • Rumman Raees3-0-37-2

10.45pm: That's it for tonight, a triumphant return home for Pakistan, and a feast for their fans at the Gaddafi. We'll bring you the second T20I tomorrow, and the third game on Friday. Do tune in for that. Until then, good night!

Sarfraz Ahmed: "It was a very important match, after Champions Trophy. No praise is too high for our players, especially Babar Azam, and the way Ahmed Shehzad played, and the way Shoaib Malik and Imad Wasim finished the innings. We've got some very good players, which is why the selection committee is giving them a lot of opportunities. Our fitness is getting better day after day, and the humidity today was a test of it, and we passed it."

Faf du Plessis: "It was a good game, I thought Pakistan played exceptionally well. I thought it was a 180 wicket, so maybe we gave away 20 runs too many. Our bowling was possibly one-dimensional. They had a lot of variety, spinners, left-arm, right-arm. It was a great occasion to play here, and as soon as we walked into the field, it was just a normal game. I needed to get a 50 or 60 for us to win. Quick turnaround, I don't think I've ever played two T20s in two days. Great to play in front of the Pakistani fans, hopefully next two games we can get a full house."

Babar Azam is the Player of the Match. "There was no pressure. It was just a slow wicket, so I thought I'll take my time and play my natural game. Once I got a partnership with Ahmed bhai, I just wanted to take it as far as I could."

There's a Giggly Boom Boom shot of the match award, and it's gone to Hashim Amla. Has there been a greater name for an award in the history of awards?

Talha Hameed: "STATS: Total of Four T20Is have been played in Pakistan, Pakistan have won all Four. Brilliant!"

10.20pm Pakistan's first home international in two years, and they've won it comfortably. World XI were chasing the game right through their innings, and maybe they didn't get their batting order right, but none of that really matters now, does it? Think about everyone in the stands right now, and just the fact that they were able to watch their own team, in the flesh, after so long. And today they've got to watch some excellent performances from their players, none better than a brilliant 86 from Lahore's very own Babar Azam. There was also some vintage late hitting from Shoaib Malik, some typically un-hittable slow left-arm swerve from Imad Wasim, ripping legbreaks and googlies from Shadab Khan, and a last over full of yorkers from Hasan Ali.

19.6
4
Hasan Ali to Sammy, FOUR, another yorker, five in a row to finish. Sammy swings hard, and gets a thick inside-edge that runs away for an inconsequential boundary to fine leg
19.5
W
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, OUT, another yorker, close to off stump, dug out towards deep point. They belatedly decide to take a single, and that only results in a run-out at the bowler's end

NLTC Perera run out 17 (11b 3x4 0x6) SR: 154.54

19.4
1
Hasan Ali to Perera, 1 run, in the blockhole on off stump, makes himself room and steers towards backward point
19.3
1
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, off-stump yorker this time, squeezed down to long-off
19.2
0
Hasan Ali to Sammy, no run, bam. Now Hasan nails the yorker, Right up at the batsman's feet, and he sweeps him off his feet too. Just about digs it out, gets his front leg out of the way of some late inswing, and falls to the floor while doing so. Applauds the bowler too
19.1
6
Hasan Ali to Sammy, SIX, he certainly can hit the first ball for six. Short ball, angling into the body, but he's opened up almost in expectation, and he pulls it away over the backward square leg boundary

34 off the last over. Five sixes and a four. Can Sammy manage that?

END OF OVER:
19 | 13 Runs | World: 164/6 (34 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.63, RRR: 34.00)

  • Daren Sammy17 (11b)
  • Thisara Perera16 (10b)
  • Rumman Raees3-0-37-2
  • Hasan Ali3-0-31-0
18.6
1
Rumman Raees to Sammy, 1 run, yorker, and a big lbw appeal as Sammy plays all around it, but the angle's probably taking it past off stump
18.5
6
Rumman Raees to Sammy, SIX, this one he really connects. Length ball on off stump, and he clears his front leg and clears long-on just as easily
18.4
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, short now, not too much width, jumps to slash it away but can only manage an inside-edge down to the keeper
18.3
6
Rumman Raees to Sammy, SIX, slower length ball, and this time Sammy slogs it away over the leaping deep midwicket player. The length allowed him to hit it over the top, and the short boundaries enabled him to hit it for six
18.2
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, and now the slower bouncer. Sammy was in no position to play it - and he reacts very late to duck his head underneath
18.1
0
Rumman Raees to Sammy, no run, nice slower ball, full, slanting away from off stump. Looks for the slog over mid-on or midwicket, doesn't connect

Rumman.

Ajay Kamath: "Why on earth is Cutting not...well.... cutting and pulling and lofting?"

END OF OVER:
18 | 3 Runs | World: 151/6 (47 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.38, RRR: 23.50)

  • Daren Sammy4 (5b)
  • Thisara Perera16 (10b)
  • Hasan Ali3-0-31-0
  • Sohail Khan4-0-28-2
17.6
1
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, full on off stump, nearly in the blockhole, jabbed hard to long-off
17.5
0
Hasan Ali to Sammy, no run, full this time, wide outside off, and Sammy swings and misses, going for the big slap through the off side
17.4
1
Hasan Ali to Perera, 1 run, short ball, on the stumps this time. Another attempted pull, only manages an inside-edge down to short fine leg
17.3
0
Hasan Ali to Perera, no run, and again. Slower short ball, doesn't get up as high as the previous one, and another swing and miss
17.2
0
Hasan Ali to Perera, no run, slower bouncer, angling across Perera, and he looks for the pull but swings too early and can't connect
17.1
1
Hasan Ali to Sammy, 1 run, shortish on off stump, whipped to deep midwicket

50 off the last three overs. Here's Hasan Ali.

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | World: 148/6 (50 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.70, RRR: 16.66)

  • Daren Sammy2 (2b)
  • Thisara Perera15 (7b)
  • Sohail Khan4-0-28-2
  • Rumman Raees2-0-24-2
16.6
1
Sohail Khan to Sammy, 1 run, back of a length on off stump, swiped away to deep midwicket
16.5
1
Sohail Khan to Perera, 1 run, slower ball, back of a length on off stump, swats it to long-on on the bounce
16.4
1
Sohail Khan to Sammy, 1 run, in the blockhole, squeezed down the ground towards mid-off

Darren Sammy is in at No. 8. This is a seriously deep line-up, with Ben Cutting still to come, but their task - 53 off 21 - might be getting beyond them now.

16.3
W
Sohail Khan to Elliott, OUT, slower ball, full outside off, and once again, that's a wicket-taking ball. Hashim Amla fell in similar fashion, and now Elliott scoops a catch to extra-cover

GD Elliott c Imad Wasim b Sohail Khan 14 (8b 2x4 0x6) SR: 175.00

16.2
2
Sohail Khan to Elliott, 2 runs, nice placement again. This is very full, on off and middle, and he gets his front leg away from the line and drills it between long-on and long-off, who converge to stop the ball. In the end, Hasan Ali stops it with a slide to his right from long-on. They have a look to see if he touched the rope at any point, but the pictures seem inconclusive
16.1
4
Sohail Khan to Elliott, FOUR, not the best line to bowl with fine leg inside the circle. Drifts onto the pads and he whips it away to the right of that fielder, off the inside edge but he won't mind. May have helped in placing it so fine

59 to get off the last four., Here's Sohail again.

Ravindran: "Well, I am surprised this question havent come up yet in the commentary. Why no Indian players in the World XI?" --- Sharda Ugra asks the same question here.

Babar's best

55*

Previous highest score for Babar Azam in T20Is, which he has gone past in this match. This is his second fifty in 9 T20I games.