The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is a highly anticipated tournament held every 4 years. Fans all around the globe have been buzzing with excitement since the start of this World Cup on the 5th of October. Pak vs Ned, the 2nd match of this tournament, was held on the 6th of October in Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. With quick wickets and an aggressive batting display, this exciting match served as a delightful experience for Pakistani fans.
Without wasting any more time, let’s dive right into the details of this exhilarating match!
Toss and Playing XIs
The Netherlands’s captain, Scott Edwards, won the toss of this exhilarating match and chose to bowl first.
Here are the playing XIs that took the ground in that game
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Pakistan’s Playing XI
1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3. Babar Azam (Captain)
4. Muhammad Rizwan (Wicket Keeper)
5. Saud Shakeel
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Muhammad Nawaz
8. Shadab Khan (vice-captain)
9. Hassan Ali
10. Shaheen Shah Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
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Netherland’s Playing XI
1. Vikramjit Singh
2. Max’O’Dowd
3. Colin Ackermann
4. Bas de Leede
5. Teja Nidamanuru
6. Scott Edwards (Captain & Wicket Keeper)
7. Saqib Zulfiqar
8. Roelof van der Merwe
9. Logan van Beek
10. Aryan Dutt
11. Paul van Meekeran
Pakistan’s Innings
A Shaky Start
The Pakistani openers only managed to put 15 runs on the board when Fakhar Zaman had to depart. The right arm pacer, Logan van Beek’s cracking delivery, was responsible for Fakhar’s early demise.
Things quickly turned from bad to worse for Pakistan. The Pakistani skipper, Babar Azam, followed Zaman to the pavilion after only scoring 5 runs. Paul van Meckerman removed Imam-ul-Haq only three deliveries after Babar’s dismissal.
Pakistan found themselves struggling badly after this top-order failure. With 38/3 on the board in only the first 10 overs, the heat was on in this high-stakes environment of Pak vs Ned match.
The Rebuilding Phase
Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel rescued Pakistan from the clumsy start as they played defensively to familiarise themselves with the pitch and weather conditions. Later, the defensive play was mixed with some attack and aggression as the duo managed to pull off a partnership of 120 runs off 114 balls.
Shakeel, who appeared under pressure initially, quickly gained control and smashed a half-century off only 32 deliveries. He was followed by Mohammad Rizwan, who made his half-century off 59 deliveries. Both of the batters showed utmost calmness and control throughout their knocks.
However, an unlucky shot led to Saud Shakeel offering an easy catch as he departed for 68 runs.
Shadab-Nawaz Partnership Aids Pakistan over 250 runs
Iftikhar Ahmed joined Mohammad Rizwan on the crease, but unfortunately, both batsmen were removed by Bas de Leede in the same over. With the scoreboard reading 188 for 6, the two Pakistani all-rounders, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan came to aid.
Their 64-run partnership off 70 deliveries helped Pakistan advance to 250-plus runs. Shadab’s 32 runs and Nawaz’s 39 runs proved to be quite precious and contributed significantly to their team posting a solid total.
A Disappointing Finish
The Dutch skipper brought back Bas de Leede, and he broke the 64-run stand by absolutely destroying the stumps with his crackling delivery to Shadab Khan. Hassan Ali stepped onto the ground but was dismissed by the man of the moment, de Leede, for a duck.
Mohammad Nawaz quickly followed the pursuit as he was run out for 39 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf managed to pile up 19 runs before Rauf was stumped in the 49th over. The Pakistani team was all bowled out in 49 overs with 286 runs on the board.
Netherland’s Innings
An Early Setback
The Netherlands’ openers, Max’O’Dowd, and Vikramijit Singh, came to the crease with a healthy total of 287 runs on board to chase. However, luck was not on their side as Max’O’Dowd, the potential threat to Pakistan’s 1st World Cup win, had to depart in the 6th over for only 5 runs.
The batsman who replaced him, Colin Ackermann, also failed to stay long on the ground as he was forced to return to the pavilion at 17 runs by Iftikhar Ahmed’s first delivery in the ICC World Cup.
The Netherlands found themselves at 50/2 in 11.1 overs, with a dire need for stability in the form of a partnership.
The de-Leede-V.Singh Partnership and Hope for Netherlands
Bas de Leede came out to join the Dutch opener Vikramjit Singh on the crease. Their confident aura and vigilance resulted in a 70-run partnership off 76 balls. Vikramjit contributed 28 runs (off 33 balls), and de Leede contributed 41 runs (off 43 balls) in this crucial partnership.
Bas de Leede provided an accelerated touch to the Dutch chase as he hit several boundaries. He also managed to complete his first ICC World Cup 2023 half-century as well. Vikramjit also smashed a half-century off 67 balls. This secure phase came to an end when V.Singh departed at 52 runs. He fell prey to Shadab Khan’s spin in 23.4 overs, leading to an end to the steady partnership.
Tumbling Wickets and a Disappointing Finish for the Netherlands
Teja Nidamamuru came out to support de Leede but failed to get into the double figures as he was forced to return to the pavilion by Pakistani gun pacer Haris Rauf. Perhaps the greatest setback that led to Netherlands’s collapse in this exciting Pak vs Ned match was the departure of their skipper, Scott Edwards. Edwards was removed on a duck again by Haris Rauf in the same over.
A 24-run partnership between de Leede and Saqib Zulfiqar was also formed but was quickly put to an end by Mohammad Nawaz. Nawaz got Bas de Leede out at 33.1 overs with Netherlands at 164/7.
The batsman at number # 9, Logan van Beek, gave his best to help his team chase by scoring 28 runs, but unfortunately, the batters at the other end were unable to stand by his side. Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren were removed by Pakistani pacers Haris Rauf and Hassan Ali, respectively.
This resulted in the Netherlands team being all out for 205 runs in 41 overs. Pakistan sealed their first ICC World Cup 2023 win by 81 runs.
Pak Vs Ned World Cup 2023 Scorecard
Here’s the scorecard of this exciting game:
Pakistan’s Innings
| BATTERS | Runs | Balls | Strike Rate | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | 12 | 15 | 80 | 3 | 0 |
| Imam-ul-Haq | 15 | 19 | 78.94 | 2 | 0 |
| Babar Azam | 5 | 18 | 27.77 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 68 | 75 | 90.66 | 8 | 0 |
| Saud Shakeel | 68 | 52 | 130.76 | 9 | 1 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 9 | 11 | 81.1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 39 | 43 | 90.69 | 4 | 0 |
| Shadab Khan | 32 | 34 | 94.11 | 2 | 1 |
| Hassan Ali | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 12 | 12 | 108.33 | 2 | 0 |
| Haris Rauf | 16 | 14 | 114.28 | 2 | 1 |
| Extras | 9 | ||||
| TOTAL | 286/10 | ||||
| Bowlers | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Economy | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aryan Dutt | 10 | 0 | 48 | 4.8 | 1 |
| Logan van Beek | 6 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 1 |
| Colin Ackermann | 8 | 1 | 39 | 4.87 | 2 |
| Paul van Meekeren | 6 | 0 | 40 | 6.66 | 1 |
| Bas de Leede | 9 | 0 | 62 | 6.88 | 4 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 6 | 0 | 36 | 6 | 0 |
| Vikramjit Singh | 2 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Saqib Zulfiqar | 2 | 0 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
Netherland’s Innings
| BATTERS | Runs | Balls | Strike Rate | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikramjit Singh | 52 | 67 | 77.61 | 4 | 1 |
| Max O Dowd | 5 | 12 | 41.66 | 1 | 0 |
| Colin Ackermann | 17 | 21 | 80.95 | 3 | 0 |
| Bas de Leede | 67 | 68 | 98.52 | 6 | 2 |
| Teja Nidamanuru | 5 | 9 | 55.55 | 1 | 0 |
| Scott Edwards | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Saqib Zulfiqar | 10 | 18 | 55.55 | 1 | 0 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 4 | 7 | 57.14 | 0 | 0 |
| Logan van Beek | 28 | 28 | 100 | 3 | 1 |
| Aryan Dutt | 1 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul van Meekeren | 7 | 12 | 58.33 | 1 | 1 |
| Extras | 9 | ||||
| TOTAL | 205/10 | ||||
| Bowlers | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Economy | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 7 | 0 | 37 | 5.28 | 1 |
| Haris Rauf | 7 | 1 | 33 | 4.71 | 2 |
| Hassan Ali | 9 | 0 | 43 | 4.77 | 3 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 3 | 0 | 16 | 5.33 | 1 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 7 | 0 | 31 | 4.42 | 1 |
| Shadab Khan | 8 | 0 | 45 | 5.62 | 1 |
Conclusion
The Pak vs Ned match was the 2nd match of the highly anticipated ODI World Cup 2023. Both teams gave their best to bag their first win in this ruthless competition. With all 20 wickets bowled out in both of the innings, many noticeable individual performances came to the surface.
Saud Shakeel’s blazing 68 off 52 runs earned him the well-deserved Man of the Match award. Other note-worthy batting knocks were from Mohammad Rizwan, Bas de Leede, and Vikramjit Singh. In the bowling department, Haris Rauf’s 3 for 43 and Bas de Leede’s 4 for 62 made highlights.
