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ODI world cup 2023 Cricket

'Mach shuru hone se pehale hi khatam ho gaya bhai' - Fans react as England practically knock Pakistan out of World Cup 2023 by electing to bat first

Pakistan had a small ray of hope of pulling off a miracle if they had batted first and put a huge score on the board.

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Mathew K
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ENG vs PAK (Source: Twitter)

ENG vs PAK (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan's slimmest chance of qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup was dashed after England won the toss and opted to bat first. The two are currently (Saturday) up against each other for their final group match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Men in Green aimed to set a mammoth target for the English team if they got the chance to bat first.

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Pakistan were virtually out of the tournament after New Zealand registered a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their final league game. With 10 points and a Net Rate Rate (NRR) of +0.743, Kane Williamson and Co. are currently at the final semi-final spot.On the other hand, Babar Azam's team is currently placed fifth with 8 points and NRR +0.036. 

The Asian side had a small ray of hope of pulling off a miracle if they had batted first and put a huge score on the board. However, all hopes went down the drain once Jos Buttler won the toss and sent Pakistan fielding. Pakistan's chances of qualification are all but over and New Zealand are likely to face India in the first semi-final on November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium. 

Qualification Scenarios for Pakistan after losing the toss 

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Restrict England to 50 and chase within 2 overs

Restrict England to 100 and chase within 2.5 overs

Restrict England to 150 and chase within 3.4 overs

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Restrict England to 200 and chase within 4.3 overs

Restrict England to 300 and chase within 6.1 overs

Speaking after losing the toss, the Pakistan skipper said: "We wanted to bat first, but toss is not in our hands. We have good bowlers and we would look to bowl them out cheaply. We have one change - Hasan Ali is not playing and Shadab Khan comes in his place. We are looking forward to Fakhar's batting. We will try our best."

England vs Pakistan Playing XI

England (Playing XI): Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(w/c), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid

Pakistan (Playing XI): Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf

Here's how the fans reacted to England's decision to bat first against Pakistan:

 

Pakistan England featured ODI World Cup 2023