Harry Brook’s record‑breaking 202 runs set a new England ODI high, while Pakistan’s teen bowler Arafat Minhas claimed six wickets.
In a dazzling display on a night at Rawalpindi, Harry Brook etched his name into cricket history. The Yorkshire-born batter turned the chase into a showcase of power and precision, becoming the first Englishman ever to register a double century in a One-Day International.
After a cautious start of 13 from his opening 24 deliveries, Brook unleashed a torrent of boundaries, hitting two consecutive sixes off part-time spinner Kamindu Mendis and never looking back.
Brook’s historic double century in Rawalpindi
The innings unfolded at a blistering pace: 21 fours and 10 sixes contributed to a personal tally of 202 runs off 114 balls.
That strike rate produced the fastest double hundred ever recorded in the ODI format. Brook’s 31 boundaries also set a new England record, eclipsing the previous best of 30. The milestone arrived in the penultimate over, when he surpassed Ben Stokes’ former national record of 182, and he wrapped up his monumental effort with a clean-hit on the final ball of England’s innings.
England’s total of 429 for 4 became the highest overseas score the side has posted against any Test-playing nation, overtaking the 418 for 6 they compiled against the West Indies in Grenada back in 2019. Brook’s partnership with Joe Root yielded 159 runs, while a rapid 185-run stand with Will Jacks (66* off 30 balls) helped England surge past the 400-run barrier in the last ten overs alone, leaving the Sri Lankan bowlers bewildered.
England’s rawalpindi chase after the Pakistan setback
Brook’s heroics came on the heels of a stark 87-run defeat to Pakistan in the tournament’s opening match. England had entered that game with a solid start – 91 for no loss – only to collapse to 215 all out after Pakistani left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas struck with a sensational delivery that dismissed Brook for a modest five. The early loss of wickets in clusters highlighted England’s inability to sustain partnerships against quality spin.
In post-match remarks, Brook admitted that the team “were happy chasing 300 and thought their total was slightly under-par,” but added that “we lost too many wickets in clumps and couldn’t string any partnerships together.” He also suggested that England may have been “too careful against the spinners” and that a more aggressive approach could have altered the outcome.
Pakistan’s teenage all-rounder steals the show
While England’s narrative was dominated by Brook’s record, Pakistan’s 21-year-old left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas commanded equal attention. In only his fifth ODI, Minhas produced figures of 8.4-0-40-6, claiming a career-best six wickets and earning the player-of-the-match award. His spell included a magical dismissal of Brook, a direct-hit run-out of Gus Atkinson, and a decisive LBW of Adil Rashid.
Minhas also contributed with the bat, scoring a swift 59 off 58 balls at the top of the order, partnering with fellow newcomer Hasan Nawaz to lift Pakistan from 81 for 4 to a respectable 302. Team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi praised the youngster, calling him “a very good talent, a proper all-rounder” and expressing hopes that he would continue delivering in future games.
The twin performances – Brook’s meteoric 202 and Minhas’s six-wicket haul – encapsulated the dramatic swing of the tri-series so far, setting the stage for a riveting remainder of the tournament.
