England v Pakistan: Late stand-in Jonny Bairstow shines to help hosts to another ODI win

Watched on by a noisy sell-out crowd of 15,823, the hosts – in the face of a far more animated and vigorous Pakistan team who mercifully showed no ill effects from their world record mauling in Nottingham – maintained their hopes of a series whitewash.

And on an occasion when five Yorkshire players strode out for the hosts, it was somewhat fitting that Jonny Bairstow helped orchestrate England’s four-wicket success in a player-of-the-match performance.

In the process, he issued a timely nudge to one-day selectors after adeptly stepping into the breach at late notice after Jos Buttler tweaked a hamstring in the warm-up.

Bairstow, who shared in a key fifth-wicket stand worth 103 with Ben Stokes to wrestle the initiative back in the hosts’ favour after they were toiling at 72-4, struck an accomplished 61 on a night when guile and patience, alongside brute force, had their place.

The knock may have been circumspect by Bairstow’s standards, but it possessed plenty of currency in steering the hosts to a 4-0 lead as England reached 252-6 with 12 balls to go after Pakistan opened with 247-8.

English batsmen were intent on dining upon the carcass of a tired, seemingly ready-for-home Pakistani side, but the feast did not arrive at the table, with a much more even contest ensuing.

It proved a much more hard-fought, if slightly old-school, 50-over occasion with the sight of a Pakistani side with renewed fire in their bellies being welcome.

Alex Hales – who smashed a scarcely believable record 171 in the previous ODI at Trent Bridge – Root and captain Eoin Morgan had all dined out earlier in the week.

But they could not indulge themselves two days on, with it left to Stokes, who struck 69 to register just his second one-day half-century in England, Bairstow and Moeen Ali (45 not out) to take the plaudits along with Adil Rashid, who earlier picked up three wickets and bowled with control.

Some of the pre-match talk had focused on England supposedly displaying a new ruthless streak and taking their game onto a whole new level, perhaps fortified by their mammoth record score of 444-3 in Nottingham.

In the event, nothing like a replication transpired, although the entertainment level was still high.

Pakistan posted a relatively modest total with the bat, but showed tenacity and renewed spirit in the field.

England’s reply began inauspiciously, with Jason Roy smartly caught in the slips by Mohammad Rizwan for 14 off the bowling of Irfan. It set the stage for Root, seeking his sixth successive one-day-international half-century –something surpassed previously by only one player, the great Javed Miandad back in 1987.

The omens looked good with Root smashing an effortless four from his first ball before a reality check was provided for Hales, caught behind by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off the bowling of Irfan for just eight.

Root soon blasted a sweet pull for six into the Western Terrace before Morgan had to survive a big caught-behind appeal with TV replays indicating that the ball had clipped his shirt and not his bat.

But soon after, Pakistan were celebrating after taking the prized wicket of Root, out for 30 following a top-edge attempting to pull, with Irfan taking the catch at deep fine leg to leave England at 59-3.

The hosts were then in trouble at 72-4 after Morgan, in attempting to guide the ball to third man, only succeeded in picking out Sharjeel Khan in the slips.

But Stokes and Bairstow managed to turn the tide in a mature stand with England commendably not panicking.

Bairstow then joined forces with Ali to put on fifty for the sixth wicket before the latter finished the job at the end with a hefty six.

Earlier, Pakistan had mustered just short of 250, with some sweet and lusty late hitting from Imad Wasim giving them something to defend.

Wasim struck an eye-catching unbeaten 57, putting on 56 for the eighth wicket with Hasan Ali.

Earlier, it looked like Pakistan might struggle to get much over 200 after being reduced to 180-7.

Rashid, who took 3-47 and Ali (2-39) played their part with some top-notch catching also aiding England’s cause.

The pick of the catches saw Liam Plunkett take a marvellous flying catch at mid-on to dismiss Ahmed, Pakistan’s fourth wicket down.

Overall, the visitors’ batting display, after winning the toss, was stodgy, with the only other meaningful contribution aside from Wasim arriving from Azhar Ali.

He hit a well-crafted and patient 80 before holing out to Willey at long-off to provide a third wicket for Rashid from the final ball of his 10-over stint.

Earlier, Azhar Ali had shared in a 49-run partnership for the third wicket with Babar Azam.

But aside from a late charge led by Wasim and one or two moments from Ali, the tourists struggled to make headway for long spells and were pegged back.