In the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (CWC23), Pakistan clinched their third victory by defeating Bangladesh in a comfortable manner at Kolkata.
The Pakistan team secured a seven-wicket win, wrapping up the game in the 33rd over of their innings. The standout performances came from Fakhar Zaman, who scored 81, and Abdullah Shafique, who contributed 68 authoritative runs for Pakistan.
In the first innings, the trio of Shaheen Afridi (3/23), Mohammad Wasim (3/31), and Haris Rauf (2/36) emerged as the star bowlers for Pakistan, effectively bowling out Bangladesh for a modest total. On the other side, Mahmudullah (56) and Shakib Al Hasan (43) displayed some resistance with the bat for Bangladesh.
Fakhar Zaman’s exceptional form was evident during the first Powerplay, where he smashed four boundaries for Pakistan, including two impressive sixes off the deliveries of Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
His partner, Abdullah Shafique, also played a significant role by hitting four stylish fours during the initial 10 overs. Zaman and Shafique continued their aggressive approach, accumulating fours and sixes, which put pressure on the Bangladesh team.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz managed to break the partnership by dismissing Abdullah Shafique for 68 in the 22nd over. However, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam ensured that Pakistan stayed on course.
Although Mehidy struck twice to remove Fakhar and Babar, Pakistan had already set themselves up for victory by then.
In the first innings, Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Afridi, made a strong start. Afridi took the wicket of Tanzid Hasan and then had Najmul Hossain Shanto caught at square leg by Usama Mir.
Litton Das tried to boost Bangladesh’s score with a flurry of boundaries against Haris Rauf, but Rauf had the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind the wicket.
Mushfiqur was replaced by Mahmudullah, who kept the scoring rate up, with Das partnering him effectively in the middle overs. However, Das gave his wicket away with a mistimed shot.
Despite a brief resurgence from Shakib Al Hasan with three consecutive boundaries, Bangladesh couldn’t recover. Shakib eventually fell to Haris Rauf.
Bangladesh managed to cross the 200-run mark thanks to a partnership between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed, but Mohammad Wasim’s strikes ended their innings.
Shakib Al Hasan chose to bat first after winning the toss, hoping for some turn from the dry pitch. Pakistan made three changes to their lineup, including Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha, and Usama Mir.
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh had strong starts in the tournament but have faced a series of defeats, making it crucial to secure victories in their upcoming matches to stay in contention for the semi-finals.
A win against Bangladesh would boost Pakistan’s chances of making a late surge in the tournament, while Bangladesh, currently struggling in the standings, can draw inspiration from their historic victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
The most recent encounter between the two teams in the ODI format was in the Asia Cup’s Super Four stage, where Pakistan secured a seven-wicket victory, maintaining their dominance in head-to-head encounters.
