Chasing a modest target of 242, Pakistan’s innings crumbled under the pressure of the occasion. The top order was blown away by England’s pace attack. Fakhar Zaman fell early, Saim Ayub followed him back to the pavilion, and Babar Azam, the pillar of Pakistan’s batting, was dismissed cheaply.

At 103/6, the hosts were staring at a humiliating defeat. The tail offered some resistance, but when the 34th over came to an end, Pakistan found themselves at a disastrous 154/9. With 88 runs still required and only one wicket in hand, even the most die-hard Pakistani fans had turned off their televisions. England were already shaking hands, thinking the job was done.

When Shadab Khan walked in to bat, survival was the only thought. He struggled initially, managing just 3 runs off his first 12 deliveries. The required run rate kept climbing, and England’s bowlers were on top.

But then came the shift. Shadab realized that blocking was not an option. He started taking calculated risks, targeting the spinners and the slower bowlers. He danced down the track to Liam Dawson, smashed Jamie Overton through the covers, and took a liking to Sam Curran’s length deliveries.

The highlight of his innings was his manipulation of the field. He consistently found the gaps, converting ones into twos and punishing anything loose. He brought up his century off just 90 balls, an innings that featured 13 fours and 5 sixes. His strike rate of 117.70 in a pressure-cooker situation was a testament to his temperament.

No miracle story is complete without a stroke of luck, and Pakistan got theirs when Shadab was batting on 97. A delivery from England’s pacer struck him on the pads, and the umpire raised his finger. The entire stadium fell silent. The English players started celebrating and shaking hands, believing the match was over.

Shadab, however, immediately signaled for a review. The big screen showed the replays, and the UltraEdge detected a faint inside edge. The on-field decision was overturned, and Shadab survived.

That moment was the emotional peak of the match. A reprieved Shadab wasted no time. He smashed the very next ball for a boundary, reached his century, and then handed the strike to Rauf, who hit the winning boundary two balls later. The Gaddafi Stadium erupted.