World Cup: Disappointing start for Pakistan in reply to the target of 338, both openers out for 10 runs, In response to England’s target of 338 runs, Pakistan’s second wicket has fallen on the fourth ball of the third over.
Until recently, Pakistan had scored 17 runs for the loss of two wickets in 3.3 overs.
Pakistan’s first loss came in the form of the wicket of Abdullah Shafiq when he was dismissed lbw by David Willey at zero.
After that, the English team got their second success in the form of Fakhar Zaman’s wicket when he was dismissed for 10 off David Willey’s ball. Earlier, England gave Pakistan a target of 338 runs to win.
On Saturday, England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bat first at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. England scored 337 for nine in 50 overs thanks to Ben Stokes’ 84, Joe Root’s 60, and Jonny Bairstow’s 59. For Pakistan, Haris Rauf took three wickets and Shaheen Shah Afridi took two wickets.
It should be noted that Pakistan is currently at the fifth position in the points table of the World Cup with eight points.
After England won the toss and batted first, what Pakistan will have to do to reach the semi-finals looks impossible.
Pakistan will have to achieve a target of 338 runs from England in 6.1 overs.
England has not made any changes in their team for the match, while Pakistan has included Shadab Khan in place of Hasan Ali.
David Mullan and Jonny Bairstow started the innings cautiously for England’s innings. In the opening overs, the Pakistan bowlers bowled well and kept England’s openers in a defensive position, especially Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first three overs.
Haris Rauf, who bowled from the other end, looked for line and length in his last match of the World Cup as well.
Haris’ bad performance which started from Pakistan’s first match in this tournament was also seen in his first three overs in yesterday’s match.
In this tournament, he seemed to prove his critics that he is only a four-overs (T20) bowler and cannot bowl consistently on a line and length.
The way Shaheen was bowling, England’s openers looked under pressure, but then Harris transferred all the pressure to Pakistan with three fours in an over.
David Mullan and Jonny Bairstow struck several charming fours, forming an 82-run partnership between the two, after which Mullan scored 31 runs, caught by Mohammad Rizwan off Iftikhar Ahmed.
Six fours off 52 balls (World Cup 2023)
Bairstow completed his half-century off 52 balls with the help of six fours and a six. He scored 59 runs off 61 balls and caught Haris Rauf’s ball.
England’s top order took full advantage of a good start from the openers, and Pakistan was on the defensive with good batting from Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
Stokes, who scored a century against the Netherlands in the previous match, was in full form yesterday and charged the Pakistani bowlers well.
He had a partnership of 132 runs with Joe Root, but unfortunately, he could not score a century and after scoring 84 runs off 76 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes, he was bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Pakistan felt the need of a spinner among the middle bowlers who can give wickets to the team.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was in a good rhythm, also sent Beybaz Joe Root back to the pavilion.
Root failed to play his slow ball and was dismissed for 60 off 72 balls.
Even after the dismissal of both the set batsmen, England’s batsmen did not give up their aggressive style.
Jos Buttler and Harry Brook hit brilliant boundaries. Shaheen, who had bowled well till nine overs, conceded two sixes in his last over trying to bowl yorkers.
England’s fifth out was Harry Brook. He became a victim of Haris Rauf by scoring 30 runs off 17 balls with the help of two sixes and two fours. In the next over, Buttler was also run out on a fine throw from Harris. He scored 27 runs.
Haris Rauf, who conceded 31 runs in his first three overs, looked a different bowler in his second and third spells. He got his third wicket by bowling Moeen Ali.
In the 50th over, David Willey hit Mohammad Wasim Jr for two fours and a six, but Wasim then caught Willie out. He bowled Gus Akinson on the next ball.
