Pakistan was staring down the barrel at 154 for 9, still needing 88 runs to chase down England’s 242 in Lahore. It looked absolutely done, game over. England certainly thought so, but then Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf pulled off an unbeaten, record-shattering 89-run partnership for the last wicket, stunning England and taking Pakistan home in the fourth ODI of the tri-series on Sunday.
The Improbable Comeback That Shook Lahore
Shadab Khan, who came in at number eight, did the unthinkable. With Haris Rauf walking out at number 11, the task felt impossible. But Shadab chipped away at that massive target, finding a boundary in almost every over and managing to keep the strike with himself most of the time. Rauf played his role to perfection, too, defending when it mattered, ducking and weaving as England threw everything they had at him. He hung in there, finishing unbeaten on seven, while Shadab dictated terms at the other end. When Rauf eventually hit the winning runs, the place absolutely erupted as he raced away with his arms raised.
This unbelievable 89-run stand between Shadab and Rauf is now officially the highest for the 10th wicket in a successful ODI chase. Think about that for a second. The previous record was an unbeaten 64-run partnership, set way back at the 1975 World Cup. Shadab, for his part, notched his maiden ODI century, scoring a match-winning 113 off just 96 balls. His effort turned the game on its head completely, and England had no answer, letting victory slip right through their fingers. The win wasn’t just epic, it also took Pakistan straight into the tri-series final.
England’s Early Promise Fades
Earlier in the match, England had started strong defending their target of 242. Their bowlers were working in unison, preventing Pakistan from building any meaningful partnerships. Pakistan’s top three batters, Fakhar Zaman (10 off 18), Saim Ayub (6 off 12), and Babar Azam (10 off 12), all fell inside the powerplay. England kept taking wickets, reducing the hosts to that seemingly unrecoverable 154 for 9. But they just couldn’t get that final breakthrough, and we all know how that story ended.
Before Pakistan’s heroics, their captain and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi had put on a clinic, taking four wickets to restrict England to 241, despite a fighting century from Ben Duckett. England, needing a win to stay in contention for the tri-series after dropping their first two matches, struggled to recover after an early collapse, slipping to 19 for 3 on what was supposed to be a batting-friendly pitch. Duckett scored 105 off 111 balls, while Sam Curran added 42 during a crucial 93-run stand for the fifth wicket. Gus Atkinson chipped in with an unbeaten 36 towards the end of their innings. Shaheen finished with incredible figures of 4 for 46, and ODI debutant Razaullah took 2 for 38 as England were bowled out in 46.4 overs.
This was more than just a win; it was a statement. Pakistan is now heading to the tri-series final, riding a wave of pure, unadulterated momentum after this memorable victory.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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