Jofra Archer takes two wickets on his return to international action as England beat Pakistan by 23 runs in the second T20 at Edgbaston.
As Pakistan chased a target of 184 runs, England's fast bowler Jofra Archer faced a tough start as he gave away 15 runs in his opening over due to the aggressive batting of Fakhar Zaman. However, England's spinners performed exceptionally well and Archer eventually took a crucial wicket, dismissing Azam Khan.
Fakhar Zaman's departure for 45 runs did not deter Pakistan, as Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad Wasim kept their team in the game with some aggressive strokes, including a massive six from Iftikhar off Reece Topley. However, Archer's pace and accuracy caused trouble for the Pakistani batsmen, leading to the dismissal of Imad with figures of 2-28. This ultimately led to Pakistan being bowled out for 160 runs.
Earlier, England had posted a competitive total of 183-7, thanks to an impressive knock of 84 runs by captain Jos Buttler. However, Buttler may miss some matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup as he plans to be present for the birth of his third child.
The total score for England could have been higher, but Pakistan made a strong comeback in the end of England's innings, pleasing the crowd in Birmingham. England lost five wickets for 25 runs within 25 balls at one point. Despite this, England still managed to secure a win, taking the lead in the series 1-0 after the first match was rained out. The third game will be in Cardiff on Tuesday, followed by the final match at The Oval on Thursday.
At times, both fans and Archer himself may have doubted whether he would ever have the opportunity to play for England again. His recent absence due to an elbow injury was just the latest in a series of setbacks, keeping him out of the game for a year. This marked his first home international match since 2020, and his first time playing in front of an English crowd since the 2019 Ashes, due to pandemic-related restrictions.
However, when Archer was brought into the game in the sixth over, he showed that he was back in form, delivering fast-paced throws and earning cheers from the crowd. Despite this, his opponent Fakhar managed to score a few runs off of his throws.
In the match on a two-paced pitch, England relied on their spin bowlers to create a threat. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid both bowled exceptionally well, with Ali taking 2 wickets for 26 runs and Rashid claiming 1 wicket for 25 runs.
When Jofra Archer returned to the bowling attack in the 12th over, he made an immediate impact by getting Azam out and delivering a fast-paced yorker to Iftikhar. Fakhar's aggressive batting kept Pakistan's hopes alive, but his dismissal after hitting two huge sixes allowed England to gain the upper hand. Despite Iftikhar and Imad targeting the spin bowlers, Archer's pace made it challenging for them to score. His third over in the 15th over of the innings only conceded five singles.
After Iftikhar hit a massive six over square leg off Topley, he then hit the ball high in the air towards Chris Jordan, who managed to hold on to his second catch at long-on. This display of athleticism is one of the reasons why England included him in their squad.
As the game was coming to a close, Archer was brought back for his final over and Imad hit a full toss straight to deep point. This showcased England's improved bowling attack, which was lacking during the 50-over World Cup, but now looks much more threatening.