ENG VS PAK - 1st ODI, Pakistan tour of England, 2021

As comprehensive as it gets then from England. In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about India's bench strength with two entirely different teams set to play around the same time soon. As unfortunate as it was, the COVID emergency has allowed England to have a dip into their own bench strength and if today's start is any indicator, they're not too far behind either with respect to reserve strength. Pakistan will be stung, not by the result but by the manner in which it happened. They'll need to pull up their socks quickly as the next game isn't all that far away. Do join us for that one. Until then, it's Hari Sadanandan signing off on behalf of Sagar Chawla, Kumar Abhisekh Das and Praveen. Cheers!

Saqib Mahmood | Player of the Match: As players, you always want to contribute to a win. So it's really a nice feeling. It's important to read the conditions and then adjust. It was a red-ball surface at the top and it was important to bowl those lengths. Got easier later perhaps. Important game coming up and hopefully we can seal the series a bit early.

Ben Stokes: A very clinical performance. Any game where you get the opposition out so early, you're always ahead of the game. You're always striving for that massive team performance. I just told the boys to do what they've been doing all summer for their counties. Don't change anything.

Babar Azam: They picked up early wickets and that never allowed us to score big. Credit to England bowlers for taking wickets as that took the momentum away. Fakhar Zaman can open. Zaman did carry his form from PSL. We are looking forward to the next game.

17:44 Local Time, 16:44 GMT, 22:14 IST: Clinical! That's the best word to describe England today. There was a lot of talk about how they would line-up, given the largely second-string or even third-string squad that they were forced to assemble due to the COVID emergency. They had to contend with a relatively far more experienced Pakistan outfit who were clearly the favourites after the latest developments in the hosts' camp. That however lasted only as far as the toss. Once Stokes opted to bowl, Mahmood set the tone in the first over with twin strikes, including that of Babar for a duck. Pakistan never really recovered despite Zaman's little resistance. 141 was never going to threaten England even with this squad of theirs. Malan and Crawley made short work of the chase with eye-catching knocks, ensuring the game was done with almost 170 deliveries left.

Saud Shakeel to Zak Crawley, 1 run, on the shorter side outside off, Crawley sits back and punches it towards deep cover. England go 1-0 up with a crushing win

Saud Shakeel to Malan, 1 run, flatter and fuller on the pads, Malan milks it away towards deep mid-wicket with a neat flick. Scores level

Saud Shakeel to Malan, no run, flatter one around leg stump, nudged gently towards the leg-side

Saud Shakeel to Malan, no run, quicker one around off, Malan stays back and defends

Saud Shakeel to Zak Crawley, 1 run, floated up outside off, Crawley push-drives this towards cover

Saud Shakeel, comes into the attack

Shadab Khan to Zak Crawley, 1 run, a bit of flight and Crawley was looking for the slog sweep to seal the game, drags it off the inside half towards long-on

Shadab Khan to Zak Crawley, no run, tossed up outside off, blocked well off the front foot

Shadab Khan to Zak Crawley, 2 runs, drifting into the pads, Crawley flicks this into the gap at backward square leg. Easy brace

Shadab Khan to Malan, 1 run, looped up on leg stump, wristed away towards deep mid-wicket

Shadab Khan to Zak Crawley, 1 run, shorter and straighter, punched off the back foot down to long-on

Shadab Khan to Malan, 1 run, sliding into the pads, Malan chips this uppishly towards mid-wicket where Imam once again is sloppy. Allows an easy single

Faheem Ashraf to Zak Crawley, FOUR, fifty on ODI debut for Crawley! It's been an entertaining knock and he reaches the milestone with an attractive shot. Width on offer, not all that short in length but Crawley is sitting deep as he cuts this fiercely wide of backward point. No chance for third man

Faheem Ashraf to Malan, 1 run, direct hit at the bowler's end but Malan is comfortably in. Dabbed this in front of the point fielder and promptly called Zak Crawley across for the single. Easily done

Faheem Ashraf to Zak Crawley, 1 run, dug into the surface around leg stump, pulled away towards deep square leg