Hasan Nawaz’s Fighting 79 Rescues Pakistan After Top-Order Collapse vs England in 2nd ODI

By Imran Javed | October 20, 2026 | Sports

Hasan Nawaz played the innings of the ODI tri-series so far, smashing a fearless 79 off 74 balls to drag Pakistan from 133/5 to 242/6 against England in the second ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. England won the toss and chose to bowl first with evening dew in mind, and their seamers ripped through Pakistan’s top order before the 23-year-old counter-attacked with 5 fours and 4 sixes in a strike-rate-106.76 rescue act. The match was still in progress at the time of writing, with Pakistan 249/6 in 44.4 overs and England’s chase to come under lights.

Pakistan’s top order crumbles under the new ball

It started badly and got worse quickly. Gus Atkinson struck with the very first ball of the match, having Fakhar Zaman caught by Joe Root for a duck, and Sonny Baker soon removed Saim Ayub for 8. Babar Azam fought hard for 34 off 52 balls but was undone by a ripper from Will Jacks, while debutant Saad Baig (35 off 54) and Salman Ali Agha (16 off 19) both fell after getting starts. When Pakistan slipped to 133/5 in 27.3 overs, the Rawalpindi crowd fell silent and England sensed a stranglehold.

Hasan Nawaz turns the tide with a blazing counter-attack

What followed was exactly what Pakistan needed. Hasan Nawaz walked in, assessed the situation, and then attacked. He reached his fifty off just 46 balls — the milestone coming with a boundary off Jamie Overton in the 32nd over — and kept clearing the ropes, adding a crucial 62-run sixth-wicket stand with Arafat Minhas that swung the momentum back Pakistan’s way. Minhas played the perfect supporting role while the boundaries flowed at the other end. Hasan’s 79 came off 74 deliveries with 5 fours and 4 sixes before Jamie Overton finally bowled him. It was the kind of brave, calculated hitting Pakistan’s middle order has been crying out for.

Where the match stands

At the time of writing, Pakistan were 249/6 in 44.4 overs with Arafat Minhas unbeaten on 32 off 42 balls and Faheem Ashraf on 25 off 16, pushing the scoring rate late in the innings. With dew expected to make the ball skid on under lights, England’s chase promises to be a thriller.

Toss, teams and tri-series picture

Harry Brook’s England won the toss and elected to field first, a decision shaped by the dew factor in Rawalpindi’s day-night conditions. England arrived with momentum from recent ODI series wins over India and Sri Lanka, while Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Pakistan came in on a high after beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the tri-series opener. A second straight win would put Pakistan one foot in the final; defeat would blow the series wide open ahead of the remaining fixtures.

What to watch in the chase

Pakistan’s total only matters if their bowlers defend it. The late acceleration from Arafat Minhas and Faheem Ashraf has given Shaheen Afridi something to bowl at, and with the new ball expected to move early before the dew sets in, the first ten overs of England’s reply could decide the match. Keep an eye on how Pakistan use their spinners in the middle overs — Will Jacks showed earlier that turn can be a weapon on this surface.

And for a feel-good sidebar: Pakistan are set to wear special pink kits against England in an upcoming ODI to raise breast-cancer awareness — a reminder that this rivalry has a heart too.

One more thing worth noting: this England side knows how to chase. They arrived in Pakistan on the back of recent ODI series victories over India and Sri Lanka, and their batting runs deep. If Pakistan’s new-ball pair can’t strike under the lights in the first powerplay, the dew could make this a long night for the hosts. Whatever happens, Hasan Nawaz’s 79 has already given Rawalpindi a new hero to talk about.

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