On Tuesday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets to knock them out of the ODI World Cup. After dismissing Bangladesh for 204 runs, the Pakistani came back to surpass the goal, hitting 205 for 3 in 32.3 overs to claim their third victory of the competition.
Following their dismissals, Mohammad Rizwan (26) and Iftikhar Ahmed (17) scored the final runs. Abdullah Shafique (68) and Fakhar Zaman (81) both hit half-centuries.
Keep up with the 2023 Cricket World Cup and find the best cricket betting sites in India on BestCricketBettingSite today! Back to your favorite cricket team and enjoy the action!
The Rundown: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
Pakistan outlasted Bangladesh by seven wickets to keep their aspirations of making it to the ICC World Cup semi-finals. Bangladesh, who decided to bat first, found it difficult to recover from a sudden collapse of the top order and managed just 204 runs before being bowled out.
Pakistan’s three-pronged speed attack left a significant impact, combining them with the new ball in the last overs. Mahmudullah was the only player for Bangladesh who scored 56 runs, which was a half-century.
Pakistan’s Openers Pave the Way for Easy Victory
Abdullah Shafique (68 off 69) and Fakhar Zaman (81 off 74), the openers, combined for an impressive 128-run partnership, which paved the way for Pakistan to win easily with 17.3 overs remaining. Their net run rate increased significantly as a result of this victory.
After winning three of their previous seven games, Babar Azam’s squad climbed up to fifth place in the standings with this victory. Head coach Grant Bradburn had voiced concerns over how Pakistan’s pace strike, which is usually their strongest asset, might be impacted by India’s lack of swing.
Bradburn, though, would have been happy to have witnessed the pace trio of Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim, and Shaheen Afridi combine for eight of the ten wickets claimed by Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Unable to Generate Any Rhythm
With only his fifth delivery, left-arm fast Afridi (3-23) created history by eliminating Tanzid Hasan Ibw for his 100th wicket in an ODI. Mushfiqur Rahim got stuck behind by Haris Rauf (2-36) in the sixth over, and Bangladesh collapsed to 23-3 when Afridi removed Najmul Hossain Shanto in the next over.
Mahmudullah and Litton Das (45) tried to steady the innings, but Bangladesh was unable to generate the rhythm needed. Bangladesh’s collapse was expedited by Mohammad Wasim’s three wickets in his final seven deliveries, despite captain Shakib Al Hasan’s 43 runs.
Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Dominate Bangladesh Bowling
After Imam-ul-Haq was substituted at the top of the order, Fakhar Zaman uncovered his groove, and he and Abdullah dominated the match from the very beginning. After Fakhar hit a six over the bowler’s head to commemorate his half-century, Abdullah achieved his fifty with a single off Taskin Ahmed.
Abdullah Ibw was dropped by off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3-60), a result that was maintained upon the batter’s challenge. Even though Fakhar, who smashed seven sixes, came short of a century, Pakistan’s triumph was already expected when Babar Azam gave up his wicket.
Player of the Game: Fakhar Zaman
One of the heroes of the seven-wicket victory, Fakhar Zaman, stated at Eden Gardens after the game that they continue to believe they’ve got an opportunity to make it to the semifinals. Some of the remaining matchups’ outcomes must go in their favor.
After making 81 off 74 balls, the ‘Player of the Match’ said he could have made a century, but his actions were driven by the team’s conditions, and he ultimately lost his wicket.
According to him, their objective was to meet the target of 205 runs in 28–29 overs.
He was aware that they needed to increase the net run rate.
Fakhar Zaman, who missed five World Cup games due to injury, was dismissed for 81 after attempting to slog over the off-stump from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He was caught by Towhid Hridoy at deep mid-wicket.
Zaman believed that Pakistan was slowly adapting to the conditions in India, and the team showed signs of it in their last two games. He felt that they played very well against South Africa, even though they lost by a small margin.
Against Bangladesh, they played the kind of game they desired. He said that even their bowlers are now trying to make use of the conditions, as they are more aware of them.
Despite some injury worries, Zaman claimed that he could have entered the game at any moment. He said that the kind of injuries he had wouldn’t have prevented him from going if Pakistan needed his assistance.
Pakistan v Bangladesh Score
Pakistan | Bangladesh |
205/3(45.1 overs) | 204(32.3 overs) |
Pakistan take over Bangladesh by seven wickets |
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh enter this match coming off of many straight losses, with Pakistan having suffered four and Bangladesh five. This match may be the sole opportunity to survive the competition, especially for Bangladesh, since their prospects of qualifying for the semi-finals are nearly over.
The action continues with Bangladesh taking on Sri Lanka in Delhi on November 6th and Pakistan facing England in Kolkata on November 11th.
The Cricket World Cup 2023 is just around the corner, so don’t miss your chance to win big! BestCricketBettingSite has a list of the best cricket betting sites in India, so you can easily find the perfect one to place your bets on all the major cricket games.