Shadab Khan made the last wicket the decisive partnership of Pakistan’s chase against England at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. His unbeaten century needed more than support from the other end: it needed a partner who would still be there when the target was reached. Haris Rauf provided that presence, helping turn an innings close to defeat into a completed pursuit.
One wicket, 88 runs away
The defining situation came when Will Jacks bowled Raza Ullah at 154/9. Pakistan still needed 88, and England had reduced their task to a single dismissal. Whatever progress Shadab made from there would count for little if the final partnership broke before the chase was complete.
Rauf finished with seven not out from 19 balls, including a four. His contribution was modest in runs but essential in consequence: he remained alongside the batter capable of finishing the pursuit. The pair’s unbroken stand of 89 accounted for 37% of Pakistan’s total and took the chase beyond England’s reach.
That partnership, rather than a succession of smaller recoveries, settled the match. There was no further batter available to continue Shadab’s work, and no room for another interrupted stand.
Shadab supplied the scoring
Shadab’s 113 not out from 96 balls included 13 fours and five sixes, with a strike rate of 117.7. He supplied 47% of his side’s runs and finished with the highest individual score of the match. Those figures described an innings that did not merely preserve Pakistan’s chances; it supplied the scoring required to convert them.
The boundary count gave his innings its force. Survival alone could not complete a pursuit with so much still outstanding, and Shadab combined remaining unbeaten with sustained scoring. Rauf’s presence allowed that effort to continue through the final partnership rather than end as an unfinished recovery.
England’s attack had already demonstrated its ability to break stands. Jamie Overton claimed three for 43, while Liam Dawson took two for 30 from ten overs. Their returns underlined the scale of the reversal: the bowlers had created a winning opportunity, but the last pair denied them its completion.
A rescue that began earlier
Shadab had arrived at 103/6 with 139 required towards a target of 242. His task therefore began well before the final wicket fell, with Pakistan already dependent on their lower order.
He added 19 with Salman Agha, nine with Shaheen Afridi and 23 with Raza. Each partnership moved the chase forward, but each dismissal left fewer resources to finish it. The scorecard showed how sharply the final stand departed from those brief alliances.
Pakistan reached 243/9 and won by one wicket with 17 balls remaining. England’s innings and the earlier exchanges are covered in the full match report; the distinction here was Shadab’s ability to finish a chase after the support around him had almost disappeared. Rauf ensured that the final partnership lasted long enough for him to do so.