New Delhi. The picture of the semi-finals of the ICC ODI World Cup being played in India is gradually becoming clearer. After the match played between New Zealand and Pakistan on Saturday 4 November, the team that reached the second semi-final became the finalists. India became the first to qualify for the next round by winning 7 matches in a row. 4 of the 10 teams that entered the tournament have been eliminated while the remaining 2 spots in the semi-finals are fiercely contested between 4 teams.
Two matches were played in the ICC ODI World Cup on 4 November and both of these matches had an impact on the tournament. In the first match of the day, Pakistan beat the New Zealand team brilliantly. Batting first, the Kiwi team made a huge score of 401 runs. Pakistan scored 201 for 1 in 25.3 overs on the back of Fakhar Zaman’s storming century. The match was stopped due to rain and could not be played further. Under the Duckworth-Lewis rule, Pakistan were declared the winners as they led by 21 runs. The result of this match had an impact on the points table and South Africa became the second team to reach the semi-finals.
In the second match of the day, Australia faced the reigning world champions, England. Batting first, the Kangaroo team was bundled out for 286 runs. Chasing the target, the English team could score only 253 runs in 48.1 overs. Australia have strengthened their claim to the semi-finals by winning. With the loss of this match, the England team has been included in the list of teams that have been eliminated from the tournament.
Whose claim is stronger in the semi-finals?
At the moment, apart from India and South Africa, Australia’s claim seems to be the strongest in the points table. The team is third in the points table with 10 points and two matches remaining. In such a situation the team will definitely reach at least 12 points. New Zealand and Pakistan have 8 points each and both teams have 1-1 matches to play. In this, Pakistan has to play against England while New Zealand will face the Sri Lankan team. England and Bangladesh have 4 points with 1 win, so their hopes of advancing to the World Cup are over. Sri Lanka and Netherlands have 2 wins each but their chances of reaching the semi-finals are slim.
,
Tags: Australia vs England, Pakistan vs New Zealand, World Cup 2023
First published: November 5, 2023, 06:16 IST