England held off a late Pakistan charge to win a thrilling second Twenty20 International by three runs and take a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series.
Chris Woakes conceded just seven runs from the final over to deny the designated hosts, in pursuit of 173 to draw level, in a dramatic finale that was made possible by a brutal Shahid Afridi blitz.
The skipper, arriving at the crease with 53 needed from 20 balls, smashed 24 off just eight deliveries to give Pakistan a chance after they struggled to build on blazing 51-run opening stand between Ahmed Shehzad and Rafatullah Mohmand as Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid shared five wickets.
But Woakes recovered from leaking 22 from his penultimate over, including three Afridi sixes, to hold his nerve at the death and help England continue their limited-overs domination in the United Arab Emirates with a fifth consecutive triumph.
James Vince top-scored with 38 and Jos Buttler, captaining the side in the absence of the rested Eoin Morgan, contributed 33 to his side's 172 for eight having won the toss.
Afridi also troubled England with the ball, taking out the top three to complete figures of 3-15 from four overs.
ason Roy and Alex Hales ensured England made a better start than yesterday, when they lost three early wickets, the former hitting two sixes in a 32-run opening stand.
The introduction of Afridi brought success for Pakistan, though, the leg-spinner trapping Hales lbw with his first ball before having Roy caught behind, Sarfraz Ahmed clinging on to a bottom edge despite fumbling twice.
Joe Root slog-swept fit-again Shoaib Malik for a maximum, but picked out crowd favourite Afridi at midwicket repeating the shot next ball.
The Yorkshireman's dismissal, in the 11th over, was England's cue to up the tempo and James Vince did just that.
Dropped on 15 when Sohail Tanvir parried a drive over the long-on rope for six, the Hampshire skipper drove a six and pulled two fours until top-edging a slog-sweep in Afridi's final over.
That brought Buttler and Sam Billings together with five overs left and the pair both attempted to repeat their recent heroics in the Middle East.
Buttler, returning to the scene where he posted England's fastest one-day international ton, struck back-to-back sixes off Tanvir and Billings, a half-centurion yesterday, clubbed Wahab Riaz over long-on in the space of five deliveries.
But the left-arm paceman got his revenge on Billings next ball with the aid of a stunning catch from Umar Akmal, who flicked the ball in the air and collected on his return to play after momentum took him over the long-on rope.
Buttler cover drove a four and top-edged a six before his exit, caught behind attempting to reverse scoop a Tanvir slower ball, was the first of three quick wickets.
After Plunkett and David Willey fell to Anwar Ali, Woakes hit 13 off the 14 runs to come from the final over.
Shehzad and Rafatullah's five-over burst set up Pakistan's chase, but like in England's innings spin came to the fore on the used pitch.
Stephen Parry took pace off a ball and an advancing Shehzad was short of his ground before Buttler also took off the bails to see off Rafatullah off Rashid, the first instance where both openers have been stumped in a T20I.
Mohammad Hafeez and Malik got their pursuit back on track with 30 in 3.1 overs until they lost three wickets in four overs.
Plunkett had Hafeez caught at mid-off from a leading edge and, after Sohaib Maqsood failed to pick a Rashid googly, Umar tickled the paceman down the leg side.
England were favourites for a comfortable win when Malik pulled Plunkett to Billings in the deep.
But Afridi had other ideas, signalling his intentions by clubbing his first ball for four and then tearing into Woakes, who was dispatched over the ropes three times before the right-hander sliced to Plunkett at short third man.
After seeing Willey concede 14 in the penultimate over, including six when a throw from the deep cannoned back off an on-rushing Sarfraz and flew to the rope, Woakes had the final say with 11 needed.
The seamer bowled Sarfraz and, after a Tanvir boundary, the match went down to the final ball when Anwar failed to connect with four required.