ENG vs PAK, 2nd T20I: Morgan-Malan Blistering 50s Help Pakistan Secure 5 Wicket Win At Manchester

England's victory came on the back of a blistering half centuries by skipper Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan who helped the hosts chase down a mammoth 197-run target

England defeated Pakistan by five wickets to win the 2nd T20I played at the Old Trafford cricket ground at Manchester and took an unassailable 1-0 lead in the 3-match T20I series. England's victory came on the back of a blistering half centuries by skipper Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan who helped the hosts chase down a mammoth 196-run target. Morgan notched up a whirlwind 66-run knock and David Malan scored a breezy half ton to stitch together a third wicket partnership after spinner Shahab Khan dismissed the openers in back to back deliveries to put the hosts in a spot of bother. Coming out to chase a herculean target, English openers Jonny Bairstow (44 from 24 balls) and Tom Banton (20 from 16 balls) got their side off to a fast start with an opening stand of 66 in 38 deliveries Earlier, Morgan won the toss and put the visitors into bat first at Manchester. Pakistan got off to a flier with their opening pair of Babar Azam and hard-hitting left-hander Fakhar Zaman puttin on 72-runs in just 8.3 overs. However, against the run of play wrist-spinner Adil Rashid got the hosts back into the game when he dismissed Babar for 36 and broke the deadlock. Babar looked in sublime form and struck another breezy partnership with veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez to keep the scoreboard moving and completed his half-century (56). Hafeez then changed gears and stepped on the acceleration button by notching up a whirlwind 36-ball 69 to help the visitors pile up a mammoth total. Meanwhile for England, Rashid was the pick of the bowlers for England, dismissing both the Pakistani openers. Pacers Chris Jordan and Tom Curran also took a wicket each.