England on Sunday beat Pakistan by 45 runs in the second Twenty20 international played at Headingley. With the victory, England levelled the three-match series 1-1.

Jos Buttler took over the reins in the absence of Eoin Morgan, who had been rested. Buttler led from the front as England put up 200 batting first. Buttler scored 59 off 39 balls with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes.

Pakistan were well-placed at 71-1 in the ninth over before losing five wickets for 34 runs in an eventual total of 155-9.

England broke with convention by fielding two leg-spinners in Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson, with off-spinner Moeen Ali also included.

The hosts’ decision was vindicated by the leg-break duo taking a combined 3-55 from eight overs, with player of the match Moeen adding 2-32 to his useful 36 in England’s total of 200.

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Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan shared an opening stand of exactly 50 before the skipper was caught at mid-off after driving at paceman Saqib Mahmood.

Rashid struck on his Yorkshire home ground when he had Sohaib Maqsood stumped by Buttler before a brilliant one-handed caught and bowled accounted for Rizwan.

With the tourists falling behind the run-rate, Moeen had Mohammad Hafeez caught in the deep by Jonny Bairstow before clean bowling a charging Fakhar Zaman.

Parkinson had a deserved wicket when Azam Khan became Buttler’s second stumping of the innings before Mahmood took his figures to 3-33 by bowling tailender Rauf for a duck.

“We started well, but they got 20 or 30 runs extra,” said Azam.

“We were trying to chase. After six overs, we couldn’t continue the partnership and lost wickets.”

Moeen praised Buttler’s faith in spin bowling by saying: “I don’t think it was a game plan, it was just Jos playing the conditions.

“I don’t think it was risky at all. Today it was great conditions to be a spinner.”

The final match of the series would be played on Tuesday at the Old Trafford.