• Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the 31st match of the ODI World Cup 2023.

  • Fakhar Zaman played a match-winning knock of 81 runs for Pakistan.

Twitter reactions: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique power Pakistan to clinical win over Bangladesh – ODI World Cup 2023
Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique power Pakistan to clinical win over Bangladesh (Image Source: Twitter)

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Pakistan faced off against Bangladesh in an exciting 31st match of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, October 31. The match took place at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata and saw Pakistan emerge victorious in the contest by seven wickets.

Notably, the win for the Green Team came after a series of losses in their last four games. However, Tiger’s woes continued as it marked their sixth consecutive loss in the world event,

Mahmudullah’s resilient knock helps Bangladesh reach a fighting total

Asked to bat first, Bangladesh’s innings began on a shaky note, losing their first wicket with just one run on the board. The early departure of Tanzid Hasan sent shockwaves through the Bangladesh camp. Soon after, Najmul Hossain Shanto followed suit, and the wickets continued to tumble as Pakistan’s bowling attack showed their class.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s departure at 23-3 further deepened the crisis for Bangladesh. Nevertheless, Mahmudullah, the experienced campaigner, and Litton Das showed resilience and took the score past the 100-run mark. Mahmudullah’s steady innings of 56 and Litton Das’s 45 brought some stability, but the pressure was always there. Ultimately, Bangladesh managed to post a total of 204, thanks to the contributions of Mehidy Hasan Miraz (25) and the tail-enders.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Jr were the standout bowlers, taking three wickets each and restricting Bangladesh to a manageable total.

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Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant partnership leave Bangladesh clueless

Pakistan’s chase got off to a solid start, with Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman combining forces at the top of the order. They provided Pakistan with a solid foundation, adding 128 runs for the first wicket. Abdullah Shafique’s impressive 68 set the tone for Pakistan’s run chase.

Although Pakistan skipper Babar Azam briefly joined Fakhar, his wicket fell at 160-2. Nonetheless, the left-handed batter continued his sublime form, accumulating 81 runs in just 74 balls. His aggressive yet controlled approach helped Pakistan chase down the target with ease. Pakistan secured the victory with 32.3 overs to spare, ending their innings at 205/3.

Miraz was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking three wickets, but his efforts were not enough to derail Pakistan’s march to victory. Fakhar was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his brilliant batting performance.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Pakistan’s clinical victory

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CATEGORY: ODI World Cup Pakistan Twitter Reactions

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.