The Netherlands’ brave fight goes in vain as they lose to Pakistan in the second game of the tournament. Pakistan won by 81 runs, interestingly, this is their first win in India in ODI World Cup. Here is a recap of the second innings.
Pakistani bowlers control the powerplay
The Pakistani fast bowlers were anticipated to make early inroads despite defending 286 runs. With the first wicket, Max O’Dowd was removed by Hasan Ali. Although the fast bowlers were unable to pick up any additional wickets, they were able to control the run rate. In the first 10 overs, they only allowed the Dutch batsmen to score 47 runs.
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Babar Azam incorporated spin into the game immediately following the powerplay. Iftikhar Ahmed dismissed Colin Ackerman following the powerplay in just the second over. The third wicket partnership was worth 70 runs shared by Bas de Leede and Vikramjeet Singh, the opener. It appeared that the Dutch hitters could pose a threat to the team captained by Babar Azam during this partnership.
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Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf bring Pakistan back in the game
Vikramjeet Singh was dismissed by Shadab Khan, ending the 70-run partnership. Then, Haris Rauf was reintroduced into the attack and his single over put Pakistan back in control of the match. Within three balls, Rauf got rid of Teja Nidamanuru and captain Scott Edwards, putting the Netherlands in trouble. Saqib Zulfiqar was unable to make any difference and was caught leg before wicket off a Shaheen Afridi delivery.
Bas de Leede still stood at one end but he ran out of partners at the other end. Leede was dismissed by Mohammad Nawaz after scoring 67 runs in 68 balls hitting six fours and two sixes. Roelof van der Merwe was run out while he was trying to catch a quick single. Aryan Dutt was the ninth batter to be dismissed. The number 10 batter, was bowled by a delivery from Hasan Ali which was too good for him.
Pakistan has ensured that they do not make the same error they did in the 2019 World Cup with this victory. Due to their Net Run Rate (NRR) in 2019, they were denied a place in the semi-finals. A win by 81 runs would ensure that there NRR remains superior than most teams.
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