Riding on opener Fakhar Zaman's record-breaking century, Pakistan were sitting pretty at 200/1 after 25.3 overs in their run-chase of New Zealand's mammoth target of 402, when rain stopped play again in Bengaluru. Zaman and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam were at the crease, batting on 126 and 66 respectively. Pakistan were 21 runs ahead of the DLS par score at that stage in the 2023 ODI World Cup clash on Saturday. (Match Blog | Scorecard | Streaming)
This was the second rain interruption in the game. When it began raining the first time and the covers were called, Pakistan were 160/1 after 21.3 overs. Zaman and Azam were batting on 106 and 47 respectively at the time. Even then, the Men In Green were 10 runs ahead of the DLS par score.
This means that if play doesn't resume due to the downpour from here on, Pakistan will win the game by DLS method and keep their bleak hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive. Pakistan currently hold six points and a win on Saturday will take them to eight points after as many games. They will need to win their last group-stage match against England to stay in contention.
If that happens, Pakistan will end with 10 points. The Men In Green will then hope for Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand, so that the Kiwis end with just eight points. This way, the Babar Azam-led team can march into the last-four stage.
However, if New Zealand defeat Sri Lanka, they will also end with 10 points, which could lead to a net run-rate battle between them and Pakistan, and also possibly one of Afghanistan and Australia. Bangladesh have already been knocked out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and Sri Lanka, defending champions England are also on their way out in the group stage.
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Earlier, sustaining his rich vein of form from the previous game against Bangladesh, Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman came good when it mattered the most for his team, clobbering Pakistan's fastest-ever century in the Cricket World Cup. Zaman scored a 63-ball century against the Kiwis at the M Chinnasway Stadium on Saturday, eclipsing the previous record of a 95-ball hundred by Imran Nazir by a long way. Nazir scored the ton against Zimbabwe in the 2007 ODI World Cup.
Zaman has looked in supreme touch, and has smashed nine sixes and seven fours already in his whirlwind knock against a shocked Kiwi attack. He scored 81 in Pakistan's last game against Bangladesh, and is looking to take his side to a thrilling, unlikely win that could keep them in contention for a semi-final spot.
