The much-awaited match between Pakistan and New Zealand, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, was living up to expectations before it was spoiled by rain. At 5:20 PM EST, rain continued, and dark clouds made the possibility of resuming play bleak.
If the rain does not stop to allow the match to resume, Pakistan will be declared the winner based on the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method. The team, due to opening batsman Fakhar Zaman’s strike, is ahead of the D/L score by 10 runs.
At the time play was stopped, Pakistan were 160/1 in 21.3 overs, while their D/L par score was 150/1. They have been set a huge target of 402 runs in 50 overs.
New Zealand vs Pakistan live score updates: Get latest updates
If Pakistan wins the match on a lose-lose basis, they will get the deciding 2 points, taking their cumulative tally to 8 points in 4 matches. This would equal them with New Zealand and Afghanistan in terms of total points.
However, a win on the D/L methodology is unlikely to improve Pakistan’s net run rate (NRR), which stood at -0.02 before the New Zealand match. On the other hand, New Zealanders have a relatively healthier NRR of 0.48.
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Who will make it to the top four?
While India have secured their place and South Africa are close behind, third and fourth places are still within reach. There are a number of factors that will come into play, including the outcome of the ongoing match pitting Australia (currently in 3rd place) against defending champions England.
While England (at the bottom of the table) have no chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, they could make the battle for the top four interesting if they beat Australia.
The upcoming matches between Australia and Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka and New Zealand will remain crucial.
Even if Australia loses today, a victory over Afghanistan could bring them closer to the semi-finals. Likewise, if New Zealand lose, a win over Sri Lanka – who have been out of form as seen in the 302-run loss to India – could almost guarantee their place in the semi-finals.
If New Zealand loses today’s match against Pakistan and wins the match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will face the formidable challenge of defeating England by a very large margin to unseat the New Zealanders in the semi-final race.
At this moment, the competition for a place in the semi-finals is still open. The opening is set to become wider if Pakistan wins the match.
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Updated: 04 November 2023, 05:49 PM IST
