In a thrilling clash during the fifth doubleheader of the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan emerged victorious against New Zealand by 21 runs. The rain-affected match was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method, securing Pakistan›s win. With this important victory, Pakistan has climbed to the 5th position in the points table, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the semi-finals. The match saw Fakhar Zaman›s outstanding performance as he scored an unbeaten 126 runs on 81 balls, while captain Babar Azam contributed an unbeaten 66 runs on 63 balls.
New Zealand, after losing the toss, chose to bat and posted a formidable 401 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. In response, Pakistan had reached 160 runs for the loss of just one wicket in 21.3 overs when rain interrupted play. The target was then revised to 342 runs in 41 overs. Pakistan was tasked with scoring 182 runs in 19.3 overs after the rain delay. They resumed play and added 40 runs in the following 3.3 overs, reaching 200 runs for the loss of just one wicket when play was halted again. Unfortunately, the match couldn›t resume after this point.
In the second match of the doubleheader, Australia sent defending champions England packing from the ODI World Cup with a 33-run victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. England›s loss, after suffering six defeats in seven matches, has eliminated them from the semi-finals race, following Bangladesh›s earlier exit.
Australia batted first after losing the toss and managed to put up 286 runs, with Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring at 71 runs. In their chase, the England team was bowled out for 253 runs in 48.1 overs. Ben Stokes contributed 64 runs, while David Malan added a half-century with 50 runs. Adam Zampa took 3 wickets for Australia, while Chris Woakes secured 4 wickets for England.
Zimbabwe›s national player and coach, Tasmin Granger, commented on Fakhar Zaman›s remarkable performance against New Zealand, highlighting his unbeaten 126 runs off 81 balls, which included 11 sixes and 8 fours. This feat equaled Shahid Afridi›s record of 11 sixes in an innings set in 1996. Additionally, Fakhar Zaman achieved his 11th century, reaching the milestone in just 63 balls, making it the fastest century by a batsman in ODI history. Former Pakistan batsman Salim Malik previously held the record with a century in 94 balls against Sri Lanka in the 1987 World Cup.
In terms of Pakistan›s path to the semi-finals, Tasmin explained that they would first need to defeat England in their final league match. Subsequently, they would have to hope for a New Zealand loss against Sri Lanka. This scenario could see Pakistan reach the semi-finals with 10 points. However, Afghanistan›s victories in their matches against Australia and South Africa could complicate Pakistan›s chances. In a cricket twist, two consecutive upsets could keep Afghanistan›s hopes alive.
If both Pakistan and New Zealand win their matches, they would be tied at 10 points. In this case, if New Zealand wins against Sri Lanka by 50 runs, Pakistan would need to defeat England by 180 runs. If New Zealand wins by just 1 run, Pakistan›s target against England would be a 131-run victory. It›s a complex equation, but the support of Sri Lanka could make things easier for Pakistan in their quest for a semi-final berth.
