TimesofIndia.com in Kandy: Walking out to bat on just the second ball of England’s chase, after Shaheen Shah Afridi had removed Phil Salt first up, Harry Brook made a statement before he even took guard. Promoted to number three instead of being held back as a finisher, Brook seized control of a tricky chase at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday and shaped it entirely on his terms. What followed was a captain’s innings of the highest order. Calm under early pressure after Shaheen struck three times in the powerplay overs, Brook absorbed the heat, counter-attacked with breathtaking clarity, and unfurled a range of scintillating strokes without ever losing control of the chase.
His unbeaten century was not just about power, but about intent, tempo, and tireless running between the wickets that kept Pakistan constantly on the back foot. In standing tall when England briefly looked vulnerable, Brook became the immovable barrier between Pakistan and their fading semi-final hopes. England, with this two-wicket win, have cemented their place in the final-four. For Pakistan, the door is now virtually shut.Brook scored a sublime 100 and not only registered his highest score in T20 cricket but also became the first captain to hit a century in the T20 World Cup.On a tricky surface, Pakistan could not have asked for a better start. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck with the very first ball, finding just enough outswing for Phil Salt to feather an edge behind. Moments later, the decision by Harry Brook to promote himself to number three was put to the test. Brook began watchfully, working singles and missing a couple outside off, but never looked flustered by the early movement.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Shaheen soon delivered another major blow, removing Jos Buttler, whose difficult World Cup continued. Buttler slashed at an away-swinger and inside-edged it to the keeper, leaving England wobbling despite the positive start. Pakistan sensed an opening, but Brook had other ideas.With a flick of the wrists, Brook got off the mark with a boundary through square leg and quickly found his rhythm. He judged pace superbly, punishing anything short and using his feet confidently against spin. Pakistan were briefly gifted hope when Jacob Bethell survived a spilled chance off Usman Tariq, but the reprieve was short-lived as Shaheen returned to claim his third wicket, ending Bethell’s scratchy stay.Brook, meanwhile, kept the chase ticking at a brisk rate. He tore into Mohammad Nawaz for 17 in an over, sweeping, lofting, and muscling boundaries with effortless range. At the end of the Powerplay, England were 53 for 3, firmly back in control. Brook brought up a 28-ball fifty, fully justifying his tactical promotion and underlining his value as an innings shaper rather than a late-order hitter.Pakistan’s hopes briefly flickered when Tariq removed Sam Curran, breaking a 45-run stand, but Brook simply recalibrated. He absorbed pressure, ran relentlessly between the wickets, and then exploded again. His assault on Shadab Khan was decisive, highlighted by a clean strike straight back over the bowler’s head into the sightscreen and a boundary to finish a 17-run over.
England’s captain Harry Brook (AP Photo)
Brook saved his most emphatic statement for Shaheen’s final spell. Reading the slower balls early, he launched one over extra cover for six and then drilled another to bring up his maiden T20I hundred off just 50 balls. The innings was a masterclass in modern white-ball batting, blending power with intelligence and elite game awareness.Shaheen eventually castled Brook, who departed to a standing ovation after a knock studded with ten fours and four sixes. By then, the damage was irreparable. Although Nawaz later removed Will Jacks and Jamie Overton in quick succession to bring some spice to the chase, Brook’s brilliance had already sealed the contest.Earlier, Pakistan’s innings in Kandy unfolded in two sharply contrasting halves, with early promise and middle-overs momentum undone by a familiar collapse at the back end, leaving them with a scrappy but competitive 164 for 9 after captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat.The tone was set early by Jofra Archer, whose extra pace and movement made batting an uneasy proposition. There was just enough nibble to keep Pakistan’s openers guessing, and while Saim Ayub never looked comfortable, the real resistance came from Sahibzada Farhan. Farhan rode his luck at times, surviving edges and mistimed pulls, but showed the clarity of intent that has marked his World Cup.Archer accounted for Ayub with a sharp short ball, while England rotated their bowlers smartly through the Powerplay. Pakistan reached 46 for 2, steady rather than explosive, before Farhan began to take control. He drove straight with authority, swept confidently against spin, and used the pace of the bowlers to good effect. His third fifty of the tournament came off just 37 balls, a fluent knock that underlined his growing importance in Pakistan’s batting order.
Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
If Farhan was Pakistan’s backbone, Liam Dawson was England’s quiet strangler. Bowling in all three phases, Dawson varied his pace intelligently, firing the ball in flat and quick when batters looked to line him up. His figures of four overs, 24 runs, and three wickets did not fully capture his impact. He removed Salman Ali Agha, dismissed Fakhar Zaman just as he threatened to accelerate, and later surprised Mohammad Nawaz with a darted-in delivery. Each strike stalled Pakistan’s momentum.The defining moment of the innings came with the dismissal of Babar Azam. Struggling to impose himself against spin, Babar’s attempted release shot against Jamie Overton ended in an ugly miscue that signalled the beginning of the slide. From 122 for 3 after 15.3 overs, Pakistan lost six wickets for 27 runs, their innings unravelling under pressure.Farhan was dismissed for a well-made 63 off 45 balls. Despite some late hitting from Shadab Khan, England’s bowlers, backed by Dawson’s control and Archer’s hostility, kept the damage in check.Brief Scores Pakistan: 164 for 9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 63, Fakhar Zaman 25; Liam Dawson 3/24, Jamie Overton 2/26, Jofra Archer 2/32) England: 166 for 8 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 100, Will Jacks 28; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/30, Mohammad Nawaz 2/26, Usman Tariq 2/31)
