After restricting Pakistan to 260-6, it was Roy who gave England’s chase early impetus, the Surrey opener battling through a dizzy spell caused by the heat to register his fourth ODI half-century.
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The ball appeared to be heading straight to Gul at square leg.
For Morgan, the England captain, there was a duty to be there at the end, both in light of a personal fallow spell with the bat that had seen him go 23 global innings without a half-century and the poorly called single in the 28th over of the run chase that left Root short of his ground as Azhar Ali hit the stumps from cover with a pinpoint throw.
“I hate missing cricket, but in the long run it will do me a world of good”, said Smith, who is returning home with three ODIs and two Twenty20s still to be played.
But recent dry conditions, as well as the need to prepare for the spin-friendly pitches that England will encounter on their upcoming tours of Bangladesh and India, could prompt a change of approach in the first of a five-match series.
Hales was caught in the slips as he tried to guide a ball to third man and Roy, dropped on 24 when wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed spilled a skier, was eventually held at long-off.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: “We talk a lot about luck in cricket, there certainly are things that are out of your control”.
Pakistan finished the ten-over Powerplay on 45 for 1, though Azhar was a touch fortunate to still be at the crease after twice being dropped on 9.
In the meantime, Pakistan were involved in two-match ODI series against Ireland.
Mark Wood (1-57) – making his first worldwide appearance since October 2015 – immediately found his rhythm and troubled Sharjeel Khan (16) early on, and in the sixth over he got his man as Jos Buttler took down the leg side. But by that stage Pakistan had used up their lone review of the innings.
Babar Azam made 40 before being dismissed lbw after Rashid’s appeal was granted, even though replays showed he edged the ball before it struck his pads.
“Our total meant that dot-balls weren’t going to put that much pressure on them”, said Azhar.
Sarfraz’s partnership of 46 with Shoaib Malik was interrupted by the weather, with Shoaib caught at mid-off from the bowling of Liam Plunkett in the over after the restart.
But until last night you had to go back to June 2012 for England’s last ODI victory at West End – a 114-run D/L success against the West Indies, writes Simon Walter.
England: 194-3, 34.3 overs (J Roy 65, J Root 61).
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With Joe Root making a half-century nearly as he pleased – he finished with 61 from 72 balls – there was an inevitability about England taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
