England suffered a stunning upset at the hands of inspired Pakistan in their second World Cup match at Trent Bridge.
The hosts and favourites were surprisingly lacklustre in the field as Pakistan, roared on by their noisy and vibrant fans, posted 348 for eight in their 50 overs.
Even though England have made a habit of overhauling such targets, they were still faced with having to pull off the most successful chase in World Cup history.
And they were denied by the rejuvenated Pakistanis, who had lost their previous 11 one-day internationals including a 4-0 series defeat by England prior to the tournament and then a humiliation against West Indies on this ground on Friday.
Despite Joe Root’s 107, the first century of the tournament, and a 75-ball ton from Jos Buttler, England were restricted to 334-9 to lose by 14 runs.
In a tournament where the 10 teams play each other once to determine the semi-finalists, there are plenty of opportunities for England to get their campaign back on track, starting with Bangladesh in Cardiff on Saturday.
Pakistan, renowned for veering from shambolic to sublime in global tournaments, will look to continue their resurgence against Sri Lanka in Bristol on Friday.
After England opened their tournament by beating South Africa at The Oval on Thursday, captain Eoin Morgan asserted that they will not go through the competition unbeaten.
Similarly, on Sunday, Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood defiantly claimed his side could reverse their fortunes and beat Morgan’s men.
Both were right.
Indeed, both sides were almost entirely transformed from their first matches. Whereas Pakistan improved immeasurably, England were inexplicably shoddy.
Not only that, but England often let their frustrations boil over in the field and there were a number of noticeable moments of tension between the two sides when they came to bat.
All of this was played out in an electric atmosphere, created mainly by Pakistan fans, whose near constant din was only dimmed when Root and Buttler were together.
The tension of the contest and energy of the crowd amounted to a wonderful occasion. This was the day that the World Cup came to life. (BBC Sport)