Atkinson strikes with first ball as England open tri-series in Rawalpindi

Gus Atkinson struck with the very first ball in Rawalpindi.

The England seamer had Fakhar Zaman clipping straight to Joe Root at midwicket, the catching position on the leg side, to leave Pakistan 0-1 before the contest had settled. England could not have asked for more. The Guardian

Pakistan steadied briefly after that shock. After five overs they were 26-1, with Babar Azam on 21 and Saim Ayub on 4, then slipped again to 31-2 in the sixth over with Babar on 22 and Saad Baig yet to score. It was a frantic start to the second match of the Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka tri-nation ODI series, a 50-overs-a-side contest at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The game on 20 October was scheduled as a day-nighter starting at 2pm local time, 10am BST. The Guardian The tri-series itself runs from 18 to 31 October and is split between Rawalpindi and Lahore, with the first three games on 18, 20 and 22 October all staged in Rawalpindi. PCB

Pakistan arrived with momentum. They opened the series with a win over Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, built around a hundred from Salman Agha. England, by contrast, were opening their campaign on Tuesday against the hosts.

History offered little comfort for the visitors. England had played only three one-day internationals in Pakistan in the previous 21 years, all at the Champions Trophy early last year and all ending in defeat. The last 50-over meeting between the sides on Pakistani soil before that was also in Rawalpindi, back in 2005, when England under Marcus Trescothick won by six runs with Jimmy Anderson taking four wickets and Ian Blackwell three.

Captain Harry Brook also had a modest away record to improve, with two wins and four defeats as England ODI captain on the road before this match. His squad for the trip had a reshuffled look, with leg-spinner Mason Crane replacing Rehan Ahmed and fast bowler Jofra Archer rested for the series. The Guardian

For fans new to this format, the early overs matter for control rather than fireworks. A new ball can swing and seam, so losing two wickets in six overs leaves the batting side needing a rebuild through patient partnerships.