England head into T20 World Cup title defense with 2-0 series win over Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Defending champions England blew away Pakistan by seven wickets at The Oval on Thursday in their final match before commencing their defense of the T20 World Cup title.
Pakistan were restricted to a modest 157, largely due to the efforts of leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who claimed 2 for 27, earning him the player-of-the-match award.
England’s chase got off to a blistering start with Phil Salt (45) and captain Jos Buttler (39) putting on a rapid 82-run opening partnership in just seven overs.
The match concluded with Harry Brook hitting a six off paceman Haris Rauf, who was the standout bowler for Pakistan with figures of 3 for 38.
England reached their target with more than three overs to spare.
The victory secured a 2-0 win for England in the four-match T20 series after the games at Headingley and Cardiff were washed out.
“We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad,” Buttler told Sky Sports.
“Guys are all stepping up and performing.”
Buttler was leading England after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child following his dashing 84 in the hosts’ 23-run win in the second T20 at Edgbaston.
Earlier, Pakistan had made a promising start, reaching 59 for no loss after losing the toss in overcast conditions at The Oval.
However, they experienced a collapse, slumping to 86 for 5. The slide began when captain Babar Azam was caught at slip for a well-made 36 off fast bowler Jofra Archer, while fellow England quick Mark Wood claimed two wickets with well-directed bouncers.
“It would have been nice to get two more games in to expose a few guys to different situations,” Buttler added.
“But we have really good experience in the group and a lot of guys have been playing in the IPL (Indian Premier League), so we are not short of cricket.”
England will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland in Barbados on June 4 while 2009 champions Pakistan will face co-hosts the United States in Dallas two days later.