In the second match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, Pakistan defeated the Netherlands by 81 runs. The game took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Pakistan set a target of 287 runs and bowled out the Netherlands for 205 runs.
This victory was historic for Pakistan as it marked their first win in a World Cup match on Indian soil. In previous World Cups held in India in 1987, 1996, and 2011, Pakistan had not won any matches.
Regarding the match, Pakistan scored a total of 286 runs. They faced an early setback, losing three wickets in the first 10 overs. However, they made a strong comeback. Saud Shakeel scored a half-century in just 37 balls, while Babar Azam scored five runs in 18 balls. Later in the innings, Mohammed Rizwan and Saud Shakeel played crucial roles, and Shadab Khan and Mohammed Nawaz contributed with the bat to reach a potentially match-winning total.
Shadab Khan took charge during Pakistan’s innings when they were six wickets down after 37 overs. He played a composed innings, rotating the strike and hitting some timely boundaries, scoring 22 runs off 21 deliveries, including two important sixes.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz played a valuable innings, scoring 39 runs off 43 balls.
When the Netherlands batted, despite a good start, they couldn’t maintain momentum and lost wickets regularly, ultimately being bowled out for 205 runs. Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede were the top scorers for the Netherlands, with 52 and 67 runs, respectively.
All of Pakistan’s six bowlers picked up wickets, with Haris Rauf taking three, Hasan Ali two, and Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Iftikhar Ahmed each getting one wicket.
