Despite this loss, England won the series 4-1 and on this occasion, Abhishek Kumar present some interesting statistical highlights from the match. But Stokes (69 in 70 balls) and Bairstow (61 in 83), who was only playing on his Yorkshire home ground after Jos Buttler was ruled out with a hamstring injury, got the chase back on track with a fifth-wicket partnership of 103.
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Fast bowler Wood then took two wickets in three balls to reduce Pakistan to 77 for three in the 14th over, bowling Baba Azam and having Pakistan captain Azhar Ali (33) caught behind on review.
“I’m pleased to get a go”, Bairstow told BBC Radio. Unfortunately, everyone gets cramp.
However, Wasim took charge and hit seven fours and a six in his unbeaten half-century and lifted the total by contributing 56 runs off 48 balls for the eighth wicket with Hasan Ali.
“It was a bit more of a competitive game”, said Azhar at the presentation ceremony. “But we lost wickets frequently”.
The giant 7ft 1in (2.1 metres) Irfan, who was himself only called into the squad as an injury replacement for Mohammad Hafeez on August 27, managed just five legitimate overs in Thursday’s fourth one-day global against England at Headingley before going off with cramps to the visible annoyance of coach Mickey Arthur.
Root is one of the four England batsmen to make upward movement following a 4-1 series win over Pakistan.
Mohammad Irfan, who suffered cramps at Headingley after just five overs, has returned home.
“Definitely Mickey [Arthur] was unhappy [to see Irfan go off] and as bowling coach I was unhappy as well”, said Mahmood. Unfortunately we didn’t bowl well, but we are working hard on our skills, our line and length and all disciplines.
England assistant coach Paul Farbrace, who was with the Sri Lanka squad when their bus came under armed attack in Lahore in 2009, has also said he intends to travel to Bangladesh.
English skipper Eoin Morgan became Pakistan’s fourth scalp two overs later as he edged Umar Gul into Sharjeel Khan’s hands.
Those runs completed a fine day for the Worcestershire man who took 2-39 to help restrict Pakistan to 247 for eight. The Pakistan team also featured all-rounder Imad Wasim, born in the south Wales town of Swansea.
However, going for a risky single, he was run out by Azhar’s direct hit from mid-off.
England chose to rest Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett and bring in Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood instead.
Azhar held firm as wickets tumbled around him.
The wicketkeeper-batsman provided the telling impetus, with his 10 fours and a six from 73 balls.
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The mood in the ODI camp will be completely different to the one that prevailed in the Misbah-ul-Haq-led side, which stole the show not just with its cricketing skills but with the off-the-field theatrics after clinching victories in the recently concluded Test series.
