Srinagar: Mohammed Rizwan and Saud Shakeel rebuilt the innings for Pakistan after they had lost three early wickets to an energetic display from Netherlands in the first Powerplay. Saud went on to notch up second fastest fifty for Pakistan in World Cup history.
Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq found the going tough on a surface where the ball was holding its line on occasions and taking turn on other. Scott Edwards got it right with his bowling combinations, alternating between spinners like Aryan Dutt and Colin Ackermann and the wily pace of Logan van Beek and Paul van Meekeren.
The result was three important wickets in the Powerplay overs. Fakhar was the first to go, falling for 12 after gifting van Beek a return catch. Babar’s stay at the crease was hardly satisfying, as the batter was buckled down by the Dutch spinners. He mistimed a pull against Ackermann and fell for five. Imam was the last to go, playing one shot too many and gifting a catch to Aryan Dutt at fine leg in the 10th over.
The fourth wicket pair of Rizwan and Shakeel adopted an attacking policy to get the innings going once again, and found success in the initial stages of the second Powerplay. Between overs 11-20, Pakistan managed to score at just below run a over. There was a visible change of tactic, especially from Shakeel, who plundered a number of boundaries to reach his half-century off merely 32 balls. This is the second-fastest fifty for Pakistan in the history of the Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The duo brought up their 100-run partnership in the 25th over.
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards called it right at the toss and the Dutch opted to field against Babar Azam’s Pakistan. Edwards took the call based on the belief that the wicket would probably ease under the lights. Pakistan have a perfect head-to-head record of 6-0 over Netherlands in the ODI format.