🔗 Share this article

Could it have been fortune favouring England's side, or merely the unavoidable nature of scheduling an international cricket competition amid Sri Lanka's rainy period?

In any case, the English team narrowly escaped against Pakistan on Wednesday - big time.

The squad had been three wins from three, smoothly progressing through their initial pool matches with just winless Pakistan blocking their path to entering crunch matches versus Indian and Australian teams unbeaten.

It should have been smooth sailing: The English team has historically lost just one match against Pakistan, during a Twenty20 game back in 2013, and never in One Day International cricket.

But instead of carrying forward their winning form into those two big games versus the competition's top contenders, the team received a shock through a startling reality check.

England were thoroughly outplayed for 25 overs prior to the initial rainfall in Colombo, slumping to 79-7 while Pakistani fast bowlers skillfully exploited a helpful but not unplayable surface, before the spinners got to work against the vulnerable English middle batting lineup.

Subsequently, precipitation unfairly prevented Pakistan a famous win after it cleared to give them an hour of hope with sufficient duration to achieve thirty-four without loss chasing 113 runs, The English team's relieved expressions juxtaposed by captain Fatima Sana's despondence as the Colombo outfield became submerged.

This was England's lucky escape and they have no choice but to learn from it.

Moving forward, it's improbable they'll escape another such situation.

Pakistani Team Reveals Glaring Weakness

This tournament's fixture list is tricky. Looking at England specifically, the squad is competing in their preliminary matches at four separate locations, each offering different conditions which essentially requires adaptation during matches.

Against Sri Lanka just four days ago, the English played on a distinct pitch that provided spin and lift and very little for the seamers. This one was different, and England's batters did not adapt quickly enough to its characteristics.

The Pakistani side possessed definite strategies and executed them, constantly challenging England's fragile defences by nipping the ball into the right-handers.

Diana Baig's successful delivery of Tammy Beaumont deviated dramatically off the pitch, the opener playing a dramatic non-shot only to see her off-stump being disturbed.

Nat Sciver-Brunt's wicket deviated two and a half degrees from the surface, not dissimilar to movement typically seen from off-spin bowling, with the English captain's response with open arms and astonished expression telling the complete story - the team likely hadn't practiced for or anticipated such conditions.

Amy Jones was also bowled by Fatima, that one moving two degrees from the surface, while another ball moved one point six degrees for Heather Knight's lbw.

It was the first time in any format that an England top seven had all been bowled or lbw since early twentieth century, demonstrating Pakistani bowling accuracy aiming consistently at the wickets.

Following England's reduced thirty-one over innings, they had faced sixty-one deliveries that would have struck the wickets. They surrendered eight batters to them while managing only twenty-three runs.

Image source: Cricket Analytics/Broadcast

India and Australia Lie in Wait

The English squad journeys to Indore for their next two games to face their most challenging rivals against India this Sunday, and versus Australia October twenty-second.

Both represent difficult opposition to encounter while batting fragilities to address however the local pitches are expected to be more even and favorable for batting.

It was Knight's gritty determination that saved the team against Bangladesh and Sciver-Brunt's class ensured they posted a winning total against Sri Lanka, yet when both departed quickly against Pakistan, England could not recover.

{"The English captain and vice-captain have scored more runs collectively compared to their teammates total at this tournament," Former championship player Alex Hartley said on broadcast coverage. "That says something within itself, and neither of them batted in the first match. That is a concern."

Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones have faced difficulties versus moving deliveries - partnerships of six, twenty-four and thirteen following the chase of just 70 in the opener against South Africa - however the coach's initial decision was to demonstrate confidence and re-promote Jones, and it feels unlikely she'll separate the combination.

After Sciver-Brunt and Knight, the team's third-most productive player has been Charlie Dean at number eight scoring a solid twenty-seven not out during a nervous run-chase versus Bangladesh, a useful nineteen against Sri Lanka and she led scoring with thirty-three against Pakistan.

There have been glimpses of promise from Alice Capsey batting seventh but Sophia Dunkley and Emma Lamb face difficulties beginning their batting versus spin bowling in the middle batting positions.

Lamb has 18 runs in three innings while Sophia Dunkley managed twenty-nine, each of their dismissals to spin, with the former being asked to play an unfamiliar role.

When batting in the top three, Lamb averages 44 over sixty-one innings including five hundreds. These three innings here represent her initial experience at number six professionally in the 50-over format.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge is England's unused batter on the bench, and played in the middle order for a number of years, making it intriguing to observe the duration the Lamb experiment continues.

England may have dodged a humiliating setback here, but will be aware that circumstances won't to get any easier.

India and Australia await. Any wobbles against those two could see England's tournament could quickly fall flat.