Bengaluru: Pakistan won the match by 21 runs on DLS Method against New Zealand and bagged two points to keep hopes alive for the semifinal spot in the ongoing marquee event, ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 on Saturday.
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman smashed the fastest hundred by a Pakistan player and laced an unbeaten knock of 126 and was well-assisted by skipper Babar Azam (66*) during their run chase, which was impacted by rain. Pakistan were set a revised target of 342 in 41 overs. The rain returned in the 26th over with Pakistan cruising at 200 for one but no play was possible thereafter and with the Pakistanis ahead of the DLS par score by 21 runs, they took home two much-needed points.
Earlier, New Zealand had amassed 401 for six in their innings. The Kiwis had put on a great show with the bat courtesy Rachin Ravindra's classy 108 and skipper Kane Williamson's 95 while Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips played some quick runs in the ends to take team's score past the 400-run mark.
- 7.28 pm
The play has been called off and Pakistan managed to steal a win here at M Chinnaswammy Stadium in Bengaluru. A sensational result that keeps Men in Green alive in the tournament, and keeps the race for the semis still wide open. The defeat for New Zealand also means that South Africa are through to the semis as well. Just two spots are up for grabs now and still, four teams are fighting for it. - 6.35 pm
It has started to rain again. It is heavy enough to stop play. The players are going off and the covers are on. Pakistan are well ahead of the DLS par score. They had to be 179 at this stage and are ahead by 21 runs. We will keep losing overs now. All the buffer time has been used up. But Azam and Zaman are still in the dugout, they are hopeful of a quick restart. - 6.30 pm
Fakhar Zaman and Babar hit three sixes in four balls against leg spinner Ish Sodhi's over. Together they have accumulated 20 runs of the Sodhi's over. - 6.27 pm
Play resumed after it was halted for a brief time due to a downpour. The game has been reduced to 41 overs and the revised target for Pakistan is 342. - 4.50 pm
Rain has halted play and Pakistan are ahead by 10 runs as per the DLS target. Thus, Pakistan will win the game in case the match gets abandoned. - 4.40 pm
The Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman duo has now ignited hopes of Pakistan chasing down the target - 4.30 pm
Fakhar Zaman notches up a hundred in 63-ball and his quickfire knock has helped Pakistan keep themselves alive in the contest so far. - 4.10 pm
Pakistan have maintained a decent run rate so far. But they have struggled to find singles as well as boundaries against the spinners so far. - 4.05 pm
New Zealand's superfan Glenn Phillips has come into the attack and straightaway bowled a maiden over. - 4.00 pm
Babar and Fakhar smashed 50 runs in the last five overs. Currently, Fakhar is taking on the Kiwi bowlers and skipper Babar Azam is playing second fiddle to him. - 3.40 pm
Pakistan are off to a good start but lost the in-form Abdullah Shafique in the second over of the innings. Skipper Babar Azam and aggressive left-hand batter Fakhar Zaman are looking for a boundary. - 3.29 pm
What a catch! Kane Williamson took a blinder, running backward to remove in-form Abdullah Shafique for just four runs off nine balls. S Southee strikes in his opening over keeping it full and wide off with a hint of away swing, Shafique looks to go over covers with a loft and doesn't get the connection he wanted and skipper Williamson grabbed one of the best catches of the tournament. - 3.20 pm
Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman are in the middle to open the innings for Pakistan. Left-arm pacer Trent Boult with the new ball in hand will open the attack for New Zealand. - 3.06 pm
It's cleared up pretty quickly and the overhead conditions look blue and bright. Groundstaff rushes in to remove the covers and we should have the action very shortly. The start has been delayed by 10 minutes is the official word from the ground. Pakistan's chase of 402 runs to start around 15:20 local. - 2.41 pm
Pakistan's premium fast bowler Shaheed Afridi goes wicketless and finishes with dismal figures of 0/90. Pakistan bowlers, in general, have taken a hammering after winning the toss and putting New Zealand in. Kiwi opener Rachin Ravindra amassed his third World Cup century in a single edition while skipper Kane Williamson missed out on well deserving century by 5 runs as he racked up 95 runs in just 79 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. - 2.33 pm
Wasim changed his plan and followed Phillips, who was making a room by going down the leg side. A low full toss tailing in, Phillips looks to swipe across the line, misses and it bowled off his pads. Wasim got his third and was pick the bowler for Pakistan today. Phillips made 41 off 25 balls with four boundaries and a six. - 2.24 pm
A good over from Mohammad Wasim Junior, just six runs came from the 46th over. Where almost every bowler have gone for more than 6 runs an over, Wasim has given runs with an economy of 5.20 with two wickets. - 2.10 pm
Mohammad Wasim provides an important breakthrough for Pakistan as he nails the top of the off to get rid of dangerous-looking Mark Chapman. - 2.00 pm
Glenn Phillips is continuing the aggression his predecessors have shown and is whacking boundaries for fun. - 1.50 pm
Daryl Mitchell was inking a carnage but he dragged a delivery from outside off onto stumps and New Zealand have lost four wickets now. - 1.40 pm
Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell continue the same scoring rate where Williamson and Ravindra have left. Together have accumulated 30 runs in the last 19 balls so far. - 1.20 pm
Willaimson was caught by Fakhar Zaman in the deep! A good catch at the boundary as Pakistan finally broke this partnership! Iftikhar Ahmad provided a much-needed breakthrough with things going out of control! Williamson, on 95, came down the ground and got the leg-side of the ball as he looked to create room for a lofted shot. He then swings through the line of it and seems to have struck it sweetly but couldn't give much elevation to clear the long-off boundary. Fakhar Zaman, running to his right, takes a smart catch with his fingers pointing up. A fantastic knock in a comeback match from the captain comes to an end. - 1.16 pm
Rachin Ravindra brings up his third century of the ongoing World Cup in just 88 deliveries with 14 fours and a six. This is his first century against Pakistan as well, stitching 180 runs partnership with skipper Kane Williamson who is also nearing his century. - 1.12 pm
Only four runs came from the Iftikhar's over. - 1.07 pm
Hasan Ali went for 18 runs including a no-ball in his seventh over of the match. Williamson hit him for a six and a four while a shot from Ravindra just fell short by some inches from the boundary to be considered as a six. - 1.01 pm
The partnership between Williamson and Ravindra (136*) is now the highest partnership for New Zealand against Pakistan for any wickets in ODI World Cups surpassing 132 runs between Grandhomme & Neesham in Birmingham in the 2019 WC. - 12.54 pm
Hasan Ali, who is the only bowler to pick a wicket for Pakistan has gone for 11 runs on his return for the second spell. Williamson hit two boundaries in his sixth over. - 12.48 pm
200 up for New Zealand in just 29 overs. Kiwis are eyeing 400 runs target with the start they have got as Rachin Ravindra nearing his third World Cup century. Pakistan's premium fast bowler Haris Rauf has given 49 in his 6 overs so far with 13 runs coming from his last over. - 12.44 pm
Good over from Shaheen Afridi as only five runs came from it but importantly, batters looked struggling against him, especially on a yorker he bowled to Ravindra. Pakistan looking for a breakthrough but haven't looked lethal so far. - 12.37 pm
Williamson and Ravindra stitched a hundred-run partnership as they didn't struggle much against Pakistan's part-time spinners and pacers as well. Together they have scored 45 runs in the last five overs. Eight runs came from the last over bowled by Haris Rauf. - 12.30 pm
Another change in the bowling, Shaheen Afridi comes into the attack after going expensive in the first spell. He is bowling his fifth over of the innings. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson notches up to his fifty on his comeback in style. Williamson completed his half-century in just 48 deliveries. - 12.24 pm
Williamson taking on Pakistani spinners as they don't have any specialist spinners in their XI where skippers always search for bowlers. Together they have amassed 15 runs from the Iftikhar's sixth over with three boundaries. - 12.13 pm
Nothing is working for Pakistan right now. Kiwi batters have scored 32 runs in the last five overs as they continue to build pressure on Pakistani bowlers. They have accumulated 13 runs with a six and a four against Salman Agha. Agha has conceded 21 runs in his 2 overs. - 12.09 pm
The way Kane Williamson is playing, it doesn't seem that he was away from the game for a long time. He is just knocking the ball everywhere, finding boundaries on a regular basis. - 12.04 pm
Ravindra brings up the third half-century of the tournament along with two centuries. He completed his fifty in just 51 balls taking New Zealand's score past the 100 run mark. He needs to convert this start into a big score to put his team in a strong position. - 11.59 am
Williamson, Ravindra partnership stitch fifty partnerships in a quick time. Together they have scored 51 runs from 49 deliveries. Rachin Ravindra with this greedy knock became the player with the second-most runs in this ongoing World Cup. - 11.46 am
100 up for New Zealand. Pakistan were unable to create pressure after Conway's wicket as Kiwi skipper Williamson and another opener Rachin Ravindra continue to find boundaries in almost every over. - 11.30 am
Rauf is now attacking with bouncers and so the batters will have to show their skill to handle fiery deliveries. - 11.25 pm
Haris Rauf troubled Williamson in his first over with two quality deliveries but the New Zealand skipper has managed to extend his stay at the crease. - 11.17 pm
Hasan Ali gets the first wicket as he bounces out Devon Conway with a short delivery outside off. - 11.09 am
The duo is well settled now and New Zealand have a brilliant start at the top. - 11.02 am
Iftikhar is the first spin change Pakistan skipper has opted for but he is also taken for the cleaners now. - 10.56 am
Ravindra and Conway are keeping the scoreboard ticking with a regular flow of boundaries in the powerplay. - 10.48 am
Hasan Ali has been wayward so far and his lack of control cost him two boundaries in the fourth over. - 10.43 am
Conway also joins the party as he dances down the track and lofts one over mid-off to garner four runs from a delivery by Shaheen Afridi. - 10.39 am
First four for Rachin Ravindra as he punishes a delivery from Hasan Ali which was sliding down the leg. - 10.34 am
Shaheen Afridi starts the proceedings and some seam movement is visible in the first over but Devon Conway shows solid defence.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf
