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Pakistan faced off against Bangladesh in an exciting 31st match of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, October 31. The match took place at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata and saw Pakistan emerge victorious in the contest by seven wickets.
Notably, the win for the Green Team came after a series of losses in their last four games. However, Tiger’s woes continued as it marked their sixth consecutive loss in the world event,
Mahmudullah’s resilient knock helps Bangladesh reach a fighting total
Asked to bat first, Bangladesh’s innings began on a shaky note, losing their first wicket with just one run on the board. The early departure of Tanzid Hasan sent shockwaves through the Bangladesh camp. Soon after, Najmul Hossain Shanto followed suit, and the wickets continued to tumble as Pakistan’s bowling attack showed their class.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s departure at 23-3 further deepened the crisis for Bangladesh. Nevertheless, Mahmudullah, the experienced campaigner, and Litton Das showed resilience and took the score past the 100-run mark. Mahmudullah’s steady innings of 56 and Litton Das’s 45 brought some stability, but the pressure was always there. Ultimately, Bangladesh managed to post a total of 204, thanks to the contributions of Mehidy Hasan Miraz (25) and the tail-enders.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Jr were the standout bowlers, taking three wickets each and restricting Bangladesh to a manageable total.
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Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant partnership leave Bangladesh clueless
Pakistan’s chase got off to a solid start, with Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman combining forces at the top of the order. They provided Pakistan with a solid foundation, adding 128 runs for the first wicket. Abdullah Shafique’s impressive 68 set the tone for Pakistan’s run chase.
Although Pakistan skipper Babar Azam briefly joined Fakhar, his wicket fell at 160-2. Nonetheless, the left-handed batter continued his sublime form, accumulating 81 runs in just 74 balls. His aggressive yet controlled approach helped Pakistan chase down the target with ease. Pakistan secured the victory with 32.3 overs to spare, ending their innings at 205/3.
Miraz was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking three wickets, but his efforts were not enough to derail Pakistan’s march to victory. Fakhar was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his brilliant batting performance.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Pakistan’s clinical victory
Playing like a force of nature @FakharZamanLive has been on fire today! What a stellar performance he has delivered in the power play! 👏 #PAKvsBAN #ODIWorldcup2023
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) October 31, 2023
Abdullah Shafique knows the art of run-making. He can attack but is never rushed, he can defend but never gets stuck. One player, all formats. #PAKvsBAN
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) October 31, 2023
One team, one dream 🏆💚#CWC23 #PAKvsBAN #BabarAzam𓃵 #Zalmi #YellowStorm pic.twitter.com/fWipX7DSZN
— Peshawar Zalmi (@PeshawarZalmi) October 31, 2023
What a brilliant performance by Pakistan. This is called team work. Everyone played their role, everyone tried their best, everyone showed team spirit and every single one of our boys was in form. Bravo!
Congratulations! #PAKvBAN #PAKvsBAN— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) October 31, 2023
Welcome to 💯 wicket club @iShaheenAfridi well done
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 31, 2023
If comeback is bigger than the setback had a human form, it would have been called Fakhar Zaman. pic.twitter.com/kmrP1ML22u
— Abdullah (@abdullahhammad4) October 31, 2023
If there is one leading indicator for how Pakistan are likely to play, if at all there can be one, it is how Shaheen Afridi bowls in the Power Play. When he gets wickets upfront, Pakistan look a better side.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 31, 2023
📸 This picture has our whole heart 🫶#PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/2qUlQq1HUk
— Team Green 🏏🇵🇰 (@_TeamGreen123) October 31, 2023
Pakistan won the match 😍❤️🇵🇰
Congratulations ❤️🔥🔥#PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/OOSjquIQbJ— Babarians (@JunaidBabarian) October 31, 2023
CONGRATULATIONS, PAKISTANIYO; PAKİSTAN WON BY SEVEN WICKETS THANKS TO THE PACERS AND OPENING PAIR🔥♥️.#PAKvBAN #PAKvsBAN #CWC2023 pic.twitter.com/gI3lIihECl
— Shaharyar Ejaz 🏏 (@SharyOfficial) October 31, 2023
Shaheen Afridi is a weird bowler. On his non-performing days, looks as ordinary as a club bowler. But when in flow, he can make you question if there is anyone better than him?#PAKvBAN pic.twitter.com/1QSuuvZFit
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) October 31, 2023
incredible performance from Fakhar Zaman! 81 of 74 including 7⃣ Sixes the Second -Most For Pakistani betters in @cricketworldcup innings 🏅🏏! #PAKvBAN pic.twitter.com/uWEktATl1n
— حارث (@usHarrissss) October 31, 2023