India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in the World Cup in Dharamshala on Sunday, after Mohammad Shami’s 5-wicket chase, Virat Kohli perfects another tricky chase to earn Black Caps at ICC event It was their first victory in 20 years.
Shami (5/54) bowled to restrict New Zealand to 273 all out despite Daryl Mitchell’s gutsy 130 off 127 balls. Kohli (95 off 104) then supported India’s chase with an almost spotless knock, with Shreyas Iyer (33), KL Rahul (27), Ravindra Jadeja (39 no hit) and three others. They shared a crucial 50-run stand and took the team home. In 48 overs.
With India on the verge of victory, Kohli was aiming for his 100th ODI and a record 49th, but his efforts fell into a quagmire, much to the disappointment of the packed crowd at the HPCA Stadium.
With this win, the Indian team has moved to the top of the ICC World Cup 2023 points table. They have 10 points from five games and are the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.
New Zealand are in second place with four wins from five matches, followed by South Africa with six points. After losing his first two matches, the Australian team bounced back with his two consecutive wins and is in fourth place in his table on points.
Pakistan, who will face Afghanistan on Monday, are in fifth place with four points. Bangladesh, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, England and Afghanistan occupy the bottom five spots in the points table, with the only factor separating them being net run rate.
A desperate Pakistan will be wary of the ability of Afghanistan’s talented group of spinners to lash out on an often gripping Chepauk pitch during their World Cup match in Chennai on Monday.
A win is essential for Babar Azam’s side, who have lost two consecutive games to India and Australia, and further failures will severely hamper their ambitions to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Afghanistan have undeniable quality in the spin ranks, with Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman able to trouble the best players, and on Chennai’s potentially favorable surface. It can cause havoc.
Pakistan has a 7-0 advantage against Afghanistan in ODIs. Apart from calculations on the field, the Pakistan-Afghanistan standoff has seen some progress in recent years. If the team is willing to rise to the occasion, we might just see another classic.
(With PTI input)