With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, the stakes were high in the final T20I between England and Pakistan at the Kennington Oval in London. Unfortunately, rain disrupted the four-game series, forcing the abandonment of the first and third T20Is at Leeds and Cardiff, respectively.
After a clinical 23-run victory in the second T20I, England’s skipper Jos Buttler opted to bowl first upon winning the toss at the Oval. Pakistan’s openers, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, got off to a great start, scoring 47/0 in the first five overs.
However, the momentum soon shifted as wickets began to fall. The quick departures of the opening duo were followed by further setbacks when Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman fell cheaply within the first 10 overs, leaving Pakistan precariously positioned at 84/4.
The situation worsened when Azam Khan was undone by a fiery bouncer from England’s pacer Mark Wood. On the second delivery of the 11th over, Wood unleashed a short ball that angled sharply into Azam. The Pakistani batter attempted to evade the searing bouncer but failed to lower his wrist.
The ball kissed his glove, deflected off his right shoulder, and ballooned towards England’s wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler. The English captain seized the opportunity and completed the catch with ease.
Absolute savagery from Mark Wood 🤯#EnglandCricket | #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/zrrksjNF95
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2024
Following a brief chat with his partner, Usman Khan, the 25-year-old began his walk back to the pavilion. Twitter erupted in astonishment at Wood’s electrifying delivery, with users flocking to social media to express their amazement.
