In the 44th match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, England and Pakistan locked horns. This was Pakistan’s last hope to stay in the tournament. However, it was already virtually impossible to do. England won the toss and opted to bat first. England ends the match on a slow, low scoring pitch with a commanding 337. contributions from nearly every player in the top six, including Butler and Brook making significant cameos, Root and Stokes building on the foundation, and the openers getting off to a strong start. Even though Pakistan’s pacers discovered reverse swing in the latter stages, England managed to score nearly 100 runs in the final 10 overs since they had a large number of wickets at that point. A couple of opportunities were missed, with Stokes’s being the most notable as it let him off early in the innings. Pakistan needs to reach the semifinals by chasing this target down in 6.4 overs, for those who are interested in the NRR equation. It couldn’t happen.
In the run chase, Pakistan had a sloppy start as they lost both openers so cheaply. Would you believe it, England has won both games handily! Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late, as the reigning champions exit the competition in eighth place. The batting, which has consistently underperformed, fired essentially as a unit today. On a low, sluggish surface that was taking plenty of turn, Bairstow, Root, and Stokes all scored fifty, and a late burst towards the end carried them to 337, a formidable score. Pakistan was bowled out for 244 in 43.3 overs.
Pakistan is officially eliminated from the semifinal competition, as England secures their spot in the Champions Trophy 2025. In the semifinals, South Africa will play Australia at Eden Gardens, while India will play New Zealand at Wankhede. Pakistan and England entered the game with high hopes, but they haven’t lived up to them. Specifically, England has had a tremendous tournament. At least they can close it out with consecutive victories, which offers a taste of what might have been. So that’s all we have to say. There is just one more league game before the semifinals.