England enjoyed a victorious return to Pakistan as they won their first game in the country for 17 years by six wickets after Luke Wood, Alex Hales and Harry Brook starred.
Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, England did very well to limit Pakistan to 158-7. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam got the hosts off to a flier as they put on an opening partnership worth 85 off just 9.3 overs.
Rizwan was particularly impressive as he struck his 17th T20I half-century, but once Adil Rashid made the first breakthrough to remove Babar, England began to take control as Pakistan's middle order failed to capitalise on their excellent start.
Aside from Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 28 off 17 balls in an innings that included three sixes, no one else managed to score at more than a run a ball. Luke Wood picked up 3-24 on debut as he closed out the innings expertly, while Rashid's 2-27 was a reminder of the leg-spinner's enduring quality.
In response, Hales and Brook impressed as England chased down their target with four balls remaining. In his first international appearance in over three years, Hales read the situation well, leaning on his extensive experience playing in the Pakistan Super League to guide England within touching distance of victory with 53 off 40 balls.
Brook also scored a crucial 42 not out off 25 balls and struck the winning runs with a four off Shahnawaz Dahani in the final over. Here are five talking points...
Luke Wood impresses on debut
Wood has been a regular in England's white ball squads since the appointment of new head coach Matthew Mott and finally got an opportunity to play in Karachi. The left-armer has been impressive in domestic cricket over the last few years both in the powerplay and at the death and made an excellent start to his international career.
He picked up 3-24, the best figures of any bowler on show and took his first international wicket when he bowled Nawaz for four, producing an 86mph snorter that sent his stumps flying. Wood also closed out the innings expertly, taking two wickets in the final innings.
The 27-year-old is not part of England's World Cup squad, but surely has a big future ahead of him given his skill set. The only question is why it took England so long to hand him a debut given the injuries that have decimated their seam attack in recent years.
Rizwan shows his class
Rizwan entered the series under a bit of pressure after being criticised over his strike rate during the Asia Cup. He scored his runs at just 117.57 in that tournament, notably making 55 off 49 balls in the final as Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka by 23 runs.
However, Rizwan hit back at those critics against England, bringing up his half-century with a huge six off Moeen as he made 68 off 46 balls at a strike rate of 147.82.
The 30-year-old has been a hugely consistent run scorer in T20 cricket for Pakistan, with this half-century meaning he has now scored more than any England batter ever (17) despite only making his first one less than two years ago.
"A really classic Rizwan innings," England captain Heather Knight said on BBC Test Match Special. "Using his wrists and manoeuvring the ball around the field."
Rashid irreplaceable
The 34-year-old had an uncharacteristically quiet summer by his high standards, picking up four wickets at 28.75 in four T20Is and seven wickets at 39.71 in six ODIs. However, Rashid was very impressive in Karachi as he picked up 2-27, making the crucial first breakthrough after Pakistan got off to a flier.
He bowled Babar for 31 with a trademark googly and got Masood caught at fine leg for seven, with his intervention helping England limit Pakistan to a total of 158-7 after they had reached 85-0 off the first 9.3 overs.
Rashid is England's second leading wicket taker in T20Is and as the only spinner in their World Cup squad, he will be absolutely crucial to their chances of success. They have trialled other spinners over the years but none of them have come close to offering the control and wicket taking threat Rashid does.
Hales vs Salt
With Jos Buttler absent as he continues his recovery from a calf injury ahead, Hales and Salt are essentially involved in a shootout at the top of the order with both players hoping to partner their captain at the World Cup.
Salt is highly rated by England, formed an impressive opening partnership with Buttler for Manchester Originals in The Hundred and has the added benefit of being able to take the gloves if Buttler decides he wants to focus on his captaincy.
However, Hales has an excellent record in Australia, where the upcoming World Cup is being staged, an impressive international pedigree and it would be surprising if England have handed him a recall after over three years in the wilderness due to off-field issues just to bench him.
It is an interesting dilemma England have and Hales certainly took the edge in this game as he scored a fine half-century, while Salt unfortunately fell early for a run a ball ten.
Brook's impressive cameo
In just his fifth T20I appearance for England, Brook played his best innings to date as he made 42 off 25 balls. The Yorkshire star is a hugely impressive young talent and shared an excellent 55-run partnership with Hales that took England close to victory.
When Hales fell in the 17th over, Brook ensured he remained there until the end and hit the winning runs. The 23-year-old is part of England's World Cup squad but is not yet one of the first names on the team sheet.
With Liam Livingstone missing this series due to an injury sustained in The Hundred, Brook has been afforded an opportunity to impress in the middle order and certainly made the most of his shot in Karachi. Should England opt to play an extra batter at the World Cup, Brook would be deserving of the chance.
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