LAHORE (Nazrana Times) Ali Imran Chattha 

Shadab Khan scored his maiden ODI century to guide Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket victory over England at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. His unbeaten 113 helped Pakistan recover from a precarious position after losing nine wickets for 154 runs while chasing a target of 242.

In the fourth match of the Pakistan-hosted ODI tri-series, the hosts reached 243-9 in 47.1 overs to complete the remarkable chase. Shadab and Haris Rauf added an unbeaten 89 runs for the 10th wicket, setting a record for the highest 10th-wicket partnership in a successful ODI run chase and denying England a much-needed victory.

Shadab faced 96 balls and struck 13 fours and five sixes. Rauf remained unbeaten on seven from 19 deliveries. Their partnership turned the match around after Pakistan had appeared to be heading towards defeat, with England firmly in control for much of the innings.

A crucial moment came when Shadab, batting on 97, was given out leg before wicket against Gus Atkinson. He reviewed the decision, and UltraEdge detected an inside edge, overturning the dismissal. Shadab then completed his century and continued to find boundaries as Pakistan moved closer to victory.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi elected to field after winning the toss. England were bowled out for 241 in 46.4 overs. Ben Duckett top-scored with 105 off 111 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. Sam Curran contributed 42, while Gus Atkinson remained unbeaten on 36 from 28 deliveries.

Shaheen led Pakistan’s bowling attack with four wickets for 46 runs in 8.4 overs. Debutant Razaullah also claimed two wickets, helping Pakistan restrict England to a total that ultimately proved insufficient.

Pakistan’s chase began poorly, with the top order failing to build a substantial partnership. The hosts slipped to 103-6 before further wickets left them struggling at 154-9. With the match seemingly slipping away, Shadab counterattacked while carefully managing the strike to protect Rauf from excessive pressure.

The unbeaten 89-run stand surpassed the previous record of 64 runs for the highest 10th-wicket partnership in a successful ODI chase. Shadab’s innings proved decisive at a time when Pakistan needed an extraordinary effort to recover from their batting collapse.

Shaheen praised the partnership as extraordinary and highlighted the collective effort behind the victory. Shadab, meanwhile, credited Rauf for his contribution and said the innings mattered most because Pakistan had won the match.

The victory secured Pakistan’s place in the final scheduled for October 31. The hosts have now recorded their third consecutive win in the competition. Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in their next match on October 27.

England suffered their third successive defeat, leaving their chances of reaching the final dependent on subsequent results. Captain Harry Brook said the bowlers had performed well but acknowledged that the team had not scored enough runs.

The defeat has increased the pressure on England ahead of their final group match against Sri Lanka on October 29. Their qualification hopes will depend heavily on that fixture and the remaining results. Sri Lanka had previously chased down a target of 430 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, underlining the batting strength they could bring into the contest.