Pakistan faced a tough challenge from New Zealand’s top-order before mounting a strong comeback led by centurion Fakhar Zaman. They secured a 21-run victory in a rain-affected World Cup match via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, at the M. Chinnswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
This win has reignited Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, as they currently hold the fifth spot on the points table with 8 points.
New Zealand post 401
Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first. New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra scored 108, while skipper Kane Williamson, who returned from his inuury, missed out on a century by just five runs, scoring an aggressive 79-ball 95.
The two helped New Zealand to accumulate 401 with a loss of 6 wickets in their alloted 50 overs. Glenn Phillips played a nice cameo of 41 runs of 25 balls, and Mark Chapman scored 39 runs of 27 ballw. Mitchell Santner managed a quick 26 runs of 17 balls, remaining not out.
Pakistan’s bowling performance was disappointing. Mohammad Wasim Jr. took 3 wickets, giving away 60 runs in 10 overs, while Iftikhar Ahmed claimed 1 wicket for 55 runs in 8 overs. Hasan Ali bagged 1 wicket, conceding 82 runs in 10 overs, and Haris Rauf got 1 wicket, conceding 85 runs in 10 overs. Shaheen Afridi conceded a whopping 90 runs without taking any wickets.
Fakhar Zaman tonks 11 sixes
Chasing a mammoth 402, the start wasn’t ideal for Pakistan as Abdullah Shafique fell for just 4 runs. However, Fakhar Zaman decided to take on the bowlers and started hitting all over the park. He was well supported by captain Babar Azam who held one end. Fakhar Zaman notched up an impressive 126 runs off 81 balls, a knock which included 11 monstrous sixes and eight fours. Azam scored 66 runs from 63 balls.
Rain disrupted the Pakistani innings twice, resulting in the loss of 9 overs. Pakistan was set a target of 342 runs to chase in 41 overs. The match was halted for the second time due to rain, with Pakistan having scored 200 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in 25.3 overs. The game couldn’t resume, and Pakistan won by 21 runs through the DLS method.
With Pakistan’s win, South Africa have advanced to the semi-finals, while India had already qualified for the 2023 World Cup semi-finals with 14 points.
Final scores: 401-6 (50.0) | 200-1 (25.3)