The tourists made three changes from the side which lost the rain-affected first ODI at Southampton by 44 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
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Pakistan had collapsed to 2 for 3 before Sarfraz Ahmed’s 105 and Imad Wasim’s 63 not out lifted it.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against an unchanged England in the second Royal London one-day global at Lord’s. Hashim Amla and JP Duminy followed up with innings of 58 and 67 not out respectively. “He seems to be batting on a different wicket to everyone else”.
Jason Roy and Joe Root were the stars of the first ODI, scoring important runs, and if the duo get their act together in the second ODI, Pakistan will find it hard.
But Joe Root’s 89 and 68 from Eoin Morgan helped England to a four-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.
So comfortable was England’s chase that, once Root had reached 14, he did not strike another boundary until he had made 75.
Eoin Morgan says he would have bowled so he’s pretty happy. Ben Stokes will play as a batsman once again as he continues his injury comeback, while Root’s successful spell at the Ageas Bowl means that Liam Dawson is surely superfluous as a third spinning option.
Pakistan look ready for home, with opener Mohammad Hafeez already calling time on his tour.
But the Lord’s pitch looks well-grassed, which could be good news for fast bowler Mark Wood.
First Wood uprooted Sharjeel Khan’s off stump with an 87mph beauty that pitched full and seamed perfectly away from the bat, then Woakes unpicked Azhar’s defence with a wonderful swinging delivery that drew a half-hearted edge.
Babar Azam and Ahmed kept England at bay, with Babar (30) hitting several stylish boundaries before he played on to Plunkett. First Hasan Ali was out for a five-ball duck to the Yorkshireman, with Root claiming the catch despite a nasty-looking collision with Rashid who was scooting round with his eyes fixed on the ball.
But Ahmed, as he d often done during the preceding 2-2 drawn Test series, frustrated England with a mixture of orthodox and improvised shots.
Sarfraz, whose lone previous ODI hundred was against Ireland at last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, completed a 124-ball century when he glanced Plunkett for his sixth four.
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Mrs May’s former Cabinet colleague Ken Clarke – with whom she clashed on a number of occasions – is also a regular spectator at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
