The Aussies clinch a victory by a narrow 5-run margin, while the Kiwis give their all in pursuit of a daunting 389. Meanwhile, Bangladesh faces a tough challenge, already having lost half their team in the chase against the Netherlands’ 229.
In this tournament, every team is engaged in their own fierce competition. Our remarkable boys in green, however, seem to be in a contest against themselves. They’ve gone from accomplishing a record-breaking chase against Sri Lanka to a harsh defeat by Afghanistan, and then went on to give South Africa the most formidable challenge of this edition so far. It’s almost as if our team psychologist needs a psychologist of his own!
Today, Pakistan will win, most likely by four wickets.
Shaheen, Babar, Shoriful, and Salman Miraz must be the key players.
Amidst reported chaos in the camp and the Chief Selector’s sudden resignation mid-tournament, a “fact-finding” committee has been established. Startling revelations about offshore companies have also come to light. In addition, favorable results in other matches are aligning in their favor. To top it off, Shaheen’s first-over wicket has set the tone.
Pakistan’s performance signals a potential World Cup victory. Opposition teams should be on high alert.
Ravi Shastri remarked, “Babar Azam scoring 70s, 60s and 50s. Where is the big one?”
To which Babar Azam responded, “Yes, I’m also eager to play a substantial innings.”
Three Changes in Pakistan Team:
- Fakhar Zaman ✅
- Usama Mir ✅
- Salman Ali Agha ✅
Salman, Fakhar, and Usama Mir replace Shadab, Nawaz, and Imam.
Shaheen takes his 100th ODI wicket. Congratulations Shaheen Afridi for reaching 100 wickets at just 20 years old! What an incredible achievement, bruh!
The Bangladeshi batsmen seem to have started off on the wrong foot. The advantage was initially gained in the Oval match, where the runs came in gradually. The number of supporting roles played by the early Bangladeshi batsmen could be the determining factor!
England and Bangladesh are currently vying for the title of the weakest teams in the tournament. Pakistan, meanwhile, is putting in a significant effort to join their ranks.
Shahid Afridi makes a powerful return, putting Bangladesh at 6-2 as Six Feet Four Inches tall Usama Mir bends/dives to take a catch.
The ego battles between Tamim and Shakib seem to be resurfacing to haunt the Bangladesh team. Opting for Tamim over Tanzid, who only averages around 12, might have been a wiser choice.
After three overs, Bangladesh stands at 6-2.
Haris Rauf Strikes!!
Haris Rauf strikes, taking a wicket after conceding three boundaries in his opening over.
He dismisses Mushfiqur Rahim!!
What is this behavior, Babar??
Pakistan is on fire!
Bangladesh is at 23/3 after 6 overs.
In another catching attempt, Usama Mir has a cut finger on his bowling hand. I hope he is okay.
This is what we were missing.
Wickets in the powerplay.
Now watch them play like the number one side.
What an insane review! “Nooooo Babar,” says Nasser Hussain as Rauf convinces Babar to review an LBW decision that was not even close. I think the entire Pakistani team lost their senses. This is the second time they’ve made a questionable review in the tournament. Anyone watching on TV could easily tell it was not out. Rizwan always raises his voice, but when it comes to DRS, he is nowhere to be found!! Quite the actor, Rizwan. The only thing worse than Haris Rauf’s bowling is Bangladesh’s batting.
The pitch doesn’t seem favorable for batting at the moment. Everyone should be hoping it improves for Pakistan’s innings. Pakistan is off to a good start. They should aim to secure a victory with a significant margin.
Current Score: BAN 32/3 (8.2)
8.2 Shaheen Afridi bowls to Mahmudullah. It’s a length delivery outside off, coming from round the wicket. Mahmudullah chooses to leave it, showing no interest in playing the shot.
Current Score: BAN 36/3 (9.1)
9.1 Haris Rauf bowls a full delivery on off-stump. Litton Das leans forward and drives it towards backward point, resulting in no run.
The eagle is in action with 2 wickets, and Haris Rauf taking 1 wicket. The pacers are back!
Shaheen achieves a milestone of 100 wickets in just 51 matches.
Pakistan enjoys a comfortable start. The bowlers are hitting the right length. The eagle is back, striking early. Good luck in finishing it from here.
Current Score: BAN 43/3 (10.3)
10.3 Mohammad Wasim Jr bowls a length delivery on off-stump. It slightly nips back in, and Litton Das blocks it. No run.
Usama Mir is quite a mediocre spinner
Pakistan is currently struggling to find a single proficient spinner… When Pakistan’s spinners come to bowl, it often feels like a free hit for the opposing team. I swear, I am a better bowler than Usama Mir. Is he playing for Pakistan or the opponents? Full toss bowler.
Bangladesh is 56 for 3 after 12 overs.
Length is the key. Pakistan still lacks discipline.
Current Score: BAN 61/3 (12.5)
12.5 Mohammad Wasim Jr bowls a length delivery that strays onto the pads. Mahmudullah tucks it away towards long leg for a single run.
Why are they conceding boundaries so easily? They’ve already taken three wickets, so now it’s crucial to establish at least a 100-run partnership. It appears Pakistan is operating with two captains! They were doing well earlier. However, the partnership is steadily growing, which isn’t favorable for Pakistan. They urgently need a wicket. This emphasizes the need to refrain from excessive hype surrounding Pakistan. Comparing them with India without acknowledging the reality that India would likely win 9 out of 10 matches against Pakistan is misleading. The bowlers seem exhausted, and the batting approach is too defensive.
In the first 10 overs, Bangladesh stood at 37-3. However, in the next 4 overs, Bangladeshi batsmen managed to score 24 runs. This was partly due to Pakistani bowlers delivering wider or overpitched balls, sometimes both. It seems Bangladesh is mounting a comeback.
Effectively, this match feels like Bangladesh’s home game against Pakistan, with conditions akin to Dhaka.
The Pakistani bowlers need to exercise greater caution against the Bangladesh middle order.
Catching this was a tough task, but it wasn’t impossible. Good effort by Haris.
Raja is in full-on critique mode
When will Babar bring in the fifth bowler’s over? If both batsmen get settled, it could result in a beating later on.
Somebody tell the bowlers to not bowl short Waqar Younis from Commentary Box
Nothing is more terrifying than a 4th or 5th wicket partnership against Pakistan after early wickets.
Watching Pakistan’s spinners bowl is quite frustrating. Shadab was struggling, we advocated for Usama to be included in the playing XI. Now, Usama seems to be facing similar challenges. lol.
Someone said, “Where the stakes are high, there stands Uncle Iftikhar”. Iftikhar Ahmed gets the much-needed wicket.
Iftikhar Ahmed once again proves his mettle with the ball! What a crucial strike for Pakistan!
Shakib is not even in an iota of touch!
Now bring back Agha Salman and make sure your 4th and 5th bowling overs are completed.
In the World Cup 2023, Match 31, Mahmudullah reached his fifty off 58 balls. Bangladesh is at 113/4 after 26 overs against Pakistan in Kolkata.
That’s an excellent performance by Mahmudullah! He’s maintaining his consistency throughout the tournament. He’s just notched up another impressive fifty, and he achieved it in just 58 balls.
With 24 overs remaining, if Bangladesh fail to strike the right balance between attack and defense, they might face a cheap collapse. Pakistan is aggressively seeking wickets, while Bangladesh focuses on stabilizing their position.
As for the match update, after 28 overs, Bangladesh has reached a score of 121 for the loss of 4 wickets.
Being a casual cricket fan has its merits. Delving too deeply into PCB affairs is akin to entangling oneself in a drug dealer’s familial troubles. All right, this time things took a nosedive. PCB consistently manages face-saving feats in world cups, thanks to the immensely skilled cricketers representing Pakistan. But this time, it seems a dam has burst. Expect a flurry of investigations, resignations, and possibly new appointments based on merit.
It appears that PCB has given Rizwan quite a talking-to, which might explain his puffy demeanor and composed attitude today. Commentator
The current score is Bangladesh at 152 for 6 wickets after 34.3 overs.
In the latest play, Haris Rauf bowled at an impressive speed of 140.3 kilometers per hour. He delivered a full ball that was wide of off-stump. Shakib managed to play it, scoring two runs for the team.
