Twitter Reactions: England obliterate Pakistan to cruise through while chasing, come out on top to clinch series

While the other nations participating in the T20 World Cup 2024 were busy playing warm-up fixtures in the Caribbean and the US, the fourth and final T20I of the series between England and Pakistan provided one last opportunity for both the teams to test out their combinations and get their dress rehearsal done. The four-match series had already seen the first and third T20Is washed out due to inclement weather, while the hosts won the second to go 1-up.

The Jos Buttler-led team chose to field first under the cloudy skies at The Kennington Oval, which looked murky and threatening, raising the possibility that rain might again determine the outcome of the game.

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Coming in to open was the well-acclaimed pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who commenced the Pakistan innings with a bang. A peach to Rizwan courtesy of an unplayable out-swinger by Mark Wood, was succeeded by a cascade of off-side boundaries, each exquisitely bisecting the field as the visitors appeared to be in authoritative control. However, the last delivery of the powerplay saw comeback man, Jofra Archer, deliver the breakthrough. Archer got the better of the dangerous Babar, who inadvertently guided an intended slower ball into the hands of Adil Rashid, stationed at short-third. This marked the commencement of a collapse for the visitors, who struggled to regain their footing in the contest thereafter.

Except for Usman Khan, who top-scored with an encouraging 38 before succumbing to a sharp forward-diving catch by Chris Jordan, none of the other batters managed to make significant contributions to the scoreboard. The misery deteriorated further after the tourists succumbed to yielding a double-wicket maiden to Liam Livingstone, who got Shaheen Shah Afridi cleaned up a couple of deliveries after Usman departed, as all Pakistan could muster is not even playing their entire 20 overs, who were bundled out for 157 with a delivery to spare. Rashid enjoyed a good day on the field, picking a couple of wickets, accompanied by as many catches.

If one deemed Pakistan's powerplay as aggressive, the duo of Phil Salt and Buttler surpassed it with remarkable ease. A 25-run over from Naseem Shah meant that by the start of the sixth over of the chase, the equation required less than a run per ball. And just one delivery later, it was Azam Khan's turn to see his night go from bad to worse as he grassed a relatively straightforward catch, resulting in a boundary. This came after he was caught behind by an absolute snorter from Wood during the first innings. However, the most harrowing moment for the wicketkeeper-batter occurred when he fumbled an absolute sitter, depriving Haris Rauf of his second wicket.

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Despite the pacer's salvaging comeback, securing three wickets amidst an otherwise hapless outing for the Men in Green, Buttler & Co sailed to victory. Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook sealed the win with a six and a four in consecutive overs, respectively, providing the Three Lions with a resounding victory. The hosts enter the marquee event with a wealth of confidence, while Babar Azam's men face numerous issues to address if they hope to replicate their performance from the last T20 World Cup, where they reached the final but narrowly ended up losing to the same opponent.

Here's how netizens reacted to the game