Pakistan secures their spot in the MCG final where they will face either India or England, who will square off tomorrow in the other semifinal.
In their World Cup semifinal match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, Pakistan defeated New Zealand by seven wickets, hardly making a mistake during the whole match.
They will face either England or India in the World Cup final as their reward on Sunday. If it turns out to be the former, it would put them on pace to follow the example set by their great World Cup run from thirty years ago, when they came back from the brink to defeat the Kiwis in the semifinals and England in the championship game.
Babar Azam lost the toss and had to field first when he’d have preferred to bat, giving them a terrible start to the day. Then, their renowned bowler Shaheen Afridi was smashed for a four on the opening delivery of the over. But after that, it was all about Pakistan.
All aspects of their game, from bowling to fielding to decision-making, were flawless, with the New Zealanders finishing in last place. A target of 153 meant that the out-of-form duo of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan were likely to struggle. Those worries were swiftly allayed as Pakistan’s openers thrashed New Zealand’s pacers.
After struggling throughout the competition, both great openers woke up and struck half-century when it counted most. Although they did not bat in the end, their combined efforts helped the team to victory.
