Pakistan maintained its reputation because the most unpredictable group in worldwide cricket with a lovely six-wicket victory that saved its World Cup semi-final hopes alive ruined New Zealand’s perfect record and heaped more stress on host England. Babar Azam hit a glowing century to restore Sarfaraz Ahmed’s facet, which appeared down and out with the handiest one win of their first five suits. But they have bounced again strongly to beat South Africa and now previously unbeaten New Zealand.
Their victory at Edgbaston method they’re level on seven points with Bangladesh and simply one factor in the back of faltering hosts England, with fits in opposition to bottom side Afghanistan and Bangladesh to return. It has Pakistan dreaming of emulating its World Cup-winning effort in 1992 — and a photo displayed in the course of the final night’s broadcast highlighted some eerie similarities among each campaign. Man-of-the-match Babar turned into the big name of the display, scoring a measured a hundred and one off 127 balls in the front of hundreds of fanatical enthusiasts in Birmingham. Pakistan handed New Zealand’s total of 237 for 6 inside the very last over.
“Whenever we are in a nook we play our great, it was a notable team attempt,” stated triumphing captain Sarfaraz. “All the bowlers bowled well, and there was some of the greatest batting I have ever visible. The goal of 240 becomes no longer clean, and we just desired to play the 50 overs. Babar played one of the high-quality innings I even have ever visible. They treated the strain so properly. “We are not considering 1992; we are going healthy using in shape.”
BABAR LANDMARKPakistan became wobbling at 110-three while Mohammad Hafeez became out for 32 within the twenty-fifths over, but 24-yr-vintage Babar anchored the innings and changed into ably supported by way of Haris Sohail, who hit sixty-eight. During the path of his knock, Babar became the second one-quickest to reach 3000 one-day-worldwide runs — in sixty-eight innings. However, Babar took eleven innings extra than South Africa’s Hashim Amla but overtook West Indies’ excellent Viv Richards (sixty-nine innings).
“The wicket turned into difficult, but my goal changed into bat for 50 overs, and if I did, I knew Pakistan would win the fit,” stated guy-of-the-fit Babar. “We knew we’d need to score runs off the tempo bowlers. Once (Mitchell) Santner got here on, it changed into doing stuff off the pitch, so Hafeez informed me to paste at it and score three or four runs an over.” Sohail became run out within the 49th over, leaving Sarfaraz to hit the triumphing runs. Earlier, Jimmy Neesham hit a profession-exceptional ninety-seven now not out while Colin de Grandhomme made sixty-four after New Zealand received the toss and elected to bat.
