In the opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Pakistan secured an impressive 81-run victory over the Netherlands.
Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the game, putting the Netherlands under tremendous pressure and claiming all their wickets.
The Green Shirts began by taking quick wickets, leaving the Dutch team stumbling after a steady start. Pakistan’s key bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, made an impact by dismissing Saqib Zulfiqar via lbw.
As the game progressed, the Men in Green managed to break a crucial 50-run partnership between Bas de Leede and opener Vikramjit Singh. Singh, who had played steadily from the start of the Dutch run chase, was bowled and caught for 52 off 67 balls.
Pakistan’s bowlers continued to excel, sending opener Max O’Dowd and Colin Ackermann back to the dugout.
Babar Azam’s ambition to post a 300-run total was thwarted as the Netherlands restricted Pakistan to 286 runs by taking quick wickets.
Despite Pakistan’s efforts to set a formidable target, the national team’s batting line-up struggled as the Dutch bowlers dominated the innings. Haris Rauf provided some resistance with two boundaries and a six before being stumped.
Earlier in the innings, back-to-back dismissals of Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan, who attempted to maintain momentum for the Men in Green after the fall of the sixth wicket, left the side in a precarious position.
Iftikhar Ahmed was sent back to the pavilion for just 9 runs, disrupting Pakistan’s attempt to rebuild the innings following the quick dismissals of the top-order batsmen.
Top Pakistani batsmen, including Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Imam-ul-Haq, fell within the first 10 overs with Pakistan at 38/3.
At the toss, Netherlands, after winning, chose to bowl first. Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards explained his decision, citing the advantage of batting under lights at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
On the other hand, Pakistani skipper Babar Azam mentioned their goal to set a target between 290-300.
This marked the seventh encounter between Pakistan and the Netherlands in ODIs. Pakistan has emerged victorious in all six of their previous meetings in the format.
Pakistan entered the 50-over World Cup as one of the favorites, boasting an impressive win-loss ratio of 2.400 with 24 wins in 36 matches during the just-concluded World Cup cycle. Saud Shakeel was declared man of the match for his 68 runs.
The team’s consistent performance can be attributed to their mainstays consistently delivering solid performances over the years.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (wk, c), Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
