Howdy, everyone! Welcome to PtvSports’s coverage of Pakistan vs Australia ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 PAK vs AUS. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful morning in Hangzhou. While the 50-over World Cup is underway, we have this important Asian Games affair that demands your attention.
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Ifthikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali/Mohammad Wasim, 11 Haris Rauf
Even though the last World Cup was four years ago, it’s the one from 2011 that’s often seen as the spiritual predecessor, primarily because of India being the hosts again. Lest we forget, Australia were on a winning streak there that would put the Undertaker’s to shame, and it was Pakistan, who ended the 34-match run, in a low-scoring match at Colombo.
Right. That brings us to the end of our coverage for today. Hope you had as much fun as we had bringing all the action over to you. Action in the World Cup does not stop, though, with Australia taking on Pakistan tomorrow in what could be a very vital clash for both sides. Until then, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Shashank, Thilak and Venkat Raghav. Goodbye, take care!
Rohit Sharma, India captain: It was a good win. Something that we were looking forward to. We did not start well but we pulled it back well in the middle stages and at the back end as well. (On the bowling and the fielding) The last three games we have played, our fielding has been superb. We continued that today. It is something that is in your control. You try and put in as much effort as you can. Bowlers were smart enough to understand what sort of lines and lengths were needed. (On Jadeja) He was brilliant with the ball and took a brilliant catch. But a hundred is a hundred – you cannot beat that. (On the fielding medals players receive after each game) We have something going on in the group. Lifts everyone up. Guys who end up with the most medals, there is something special for them. (On Pandya) He pulled up a bit sore. There is no major damage, that is good for us. But obviously with an injury like that, we have to assess every day and we will do whatever is required. (Game against NZ) Every game is a big game. (On the support) All of us in the squad have gone through such pressure – crowds coming in big numbers. It is special for us. The crowd has not disappointed us and I am pretty sure it is going to get bigger and louder moving forward.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain: India are always a very good side. they are capable of playing this way and they showed us today that they can play better cricket (than us). All teams (New Zealand, England and India) are very good. What I feel is we did not play our best game. Hopefully we can do that in the future. (On Shakib’s injury) He is recovering well. I am hoping he can be fit for the next match. Tanzid batted really well and all the fast bowlers bowled pretty well. But we did not finish well (with the bat). If Tanzid and Litton batted longer, could have been a different ballgame. Hopefully in the next game, our batters can take responsibility.
Virat Kohli, Player of the Match: Sorry for stealing it (the player of the Match award) from Jaddu. I wanted to make a big contribution. Have made fifties in World Cups, wanted to finish it off this time. (Free hits to start off) I was telling Shubman that even if you dream about this situation, you go back to sleep. It was a dream start. It just calms you down. The pitch was good, allowed me to play my game – hit the gaps and find the boundaries whenever I could. Great atmosphere in the dressing room. The spirit is there for everyone to see. You need to create some momentum in the changing room to come out and play like this. Special feeling to play in front of such crowds.
9:23pm A truly dominant run-chase, much like it was against Afghanistan, Pakistan and for large parts, against Australia. Rohit got the ball rolling early, taking down the Bangladesh bowlers and signalling his and India’s intention to dominate. Gill then grew into his innings and got the half-century his captain missed out on. Kohli was greeted by a flurry of No balls and Free hits, and once that sequence transpired, he did not look back, scoring yet another hundred in a run-chase. Rahul did his bit too, and remained unbeaten.
Not much to write home about for Bangladesh. Their new-ball bowlers disappeared all around the park, and by the time their spinners came in, India had generated a massive head of steam. In the end, it came down to the runs they left out there, and that is what they will be concerned about moving forward. Their next game sees them travel to Mumbai, and if this year’s IPL is anything to go by, Bangladesh will need to get their batting act together soon.
Right, the openers are out in the middle now, and we’re moments away from the first ball.
Sudip Chakrabor: “Considering it is Ahmedabad, Shami must have played either in place of Siraj ( he is better batter than Siraj) or Shardul ( definitely better bowler than shardul)”
Abdul Samad: “In 2017, one of the comments were wondering what the probability was of getting into the comment section… He said it was probably one in a million, today I’m feeling it is one in a billion :)” I’m not quite that bad at my job!
Maaz: “Thakur can suprise Pakistan with the bowl because Pakistan hasn’t played alot against Thakur.”
Hammad: “Pakistan should have played fakhar instead of imam. Yes fakhar is out of form, but he brings in the xfactor. The pitch is flat. So his high strike rate could have been the game changer. Imam is too predictable with the way he bats n has not been scoring runs lately “
And now we’re done with the Indian anthem too, with excitement reaching fever pitch.
The Pakistan anthem plays first, but it’s just the players and support staff singing. There is barely a Pakistani flag to be seen out here.
Right, Sachin Tendulkar has placed the World Cup trophy on the dais, and it looks like he’ll join us for what is set to be a rousing rendition of Jana Gana Mana.
One Indian and one Pakistani view on team selection:
kailash: “Ashwin should have been played in place of Shardul. Big mistake by India”
Ali Naqvi: “Pakistan probably gets the team right but all eyes on Shadab and Nawaz today their contribution with Ball more importantly will be a big big Factor and a deciding factor.”
Hello, everyone, Danyal here now. How are we all feeling today? I am going to have my hands full with this comment section, I can guarantee you. You’re keeping it very lively, and we should have some fun.
1.45pm One change for India, Pakistan have gone unchanged. No Ashwin, no Shami. Right choice India fans? Happy with the Pakistan team, Pakistan fans? Let’s hear in the comments. And with that, let’s also welcome Danyal Rasool in the hot seat.
The India vs Pakistan World Cup game will be broadcast in the USA on ESPN+. Do tune in.
Live ball-by-ball commentary of the India vs Pakistan game is also available in Hindi and in Tamil.
Vinod Rajpal: “Shubman Gill is now ‘100 percent available’ for this game. ” Yep, he is.
Playing XI
India 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf
1.30pm Toss: Rohit Sharma has the coin. Babar Azam calls a heads, and it is a tail. A loud roar goes up. India have won the toss and will bowl first.
Rohit Sharma: It is a dream for us, and all of us are going to experience it is. It is not going to change much, dew will also be a factor so we want to chase. We want to keep striving for the best, and come out and play every day. We want to start well and play well, and do our best. It’s the most important factor, keeping yourself relaxed, keeping the atmosphere relaxed. Gill is back in place of Ishan Feel for Ishan. He has stepped up, but Gill has been a superb player for us.
Babar Azam: We were looking to field as well. We have had good two wins. Momentum is very high and we want to continue that. Jampacked stadium, we are enjoying our opportunity, and just want to enjoy. We have to be good in the field. We have had good practice sessions. Same team
Affan: “This question never gets answered but please tell me, what would the team who win the toss choose to do? Bowl or bat? Which is better?” Motera has traditionally been a good chasing ground.
1.25pm Toss in a few minutes, and as we wait for that, here are two essential reads. Firstly, Sidharth Monga’s India vs Pakistan fever dream. And Osman Samiuddin on why Mohammad Rizwan’s ODI brilliance can no longer fly under the radar.
Faisal: “Both teams are good. India have Solid batting, good fast and slow bowling. Pakistani bowlers should bowl in tight line and batters should play responsibly. “
1.18pm On that note, Shashank chimes in: If pre-match training is anything to go by, you definitely ain’t going to know which way the Indian team are going with their XI. Shardul Thakur is sprinting like an Olympian. R Ashwin is doing some light bowling on the side pitch.
1.15pm Pitch report: A 72m straight boundary while the pockets towards the cover region is around 76m, 60m square boundaries. Little bit of moisture, but this will vanish. No grass. “When Pakistan will arrive, they will like it,” reckons Waqar Younis. “There is no grass on it. It is going to get harder.” Irfan Pathan says: “It think the pitch is going to get harder and Shardul should play this game. With the kind of of humid conditions, ball tends to swing in the air. Having a fast bowler will add to the advantage”.
Talking about X-factors: “Two X-factors, one Shaheen Shah Afridi. He is going to get it right. Pakistan require early breakthroughs. Babar hasn’t really arrived yet, so he has to get runs,” says Younis. “Two X-factors from India will be Bumrah and Kuldeep. They can take away the pitch from the bowling,” reckons Pathan.
1.10pm Talking about team news, Rohit Sharma suggested that Shubman Gill ‘99% available’ for this game. Gill arrived in Ahmedabad a day before the rest of the team and trained in the nets on Thursday. Should he be drafted into the team straight away if fit?
Rohit Badola: “Ashwin probably play in the lineup …. he will be best to contain Rizwan “
Ahmad Ali: “@Rajith I have same feeling for Shaheen”
1pm Coming back to the game, Shashank Kishore sets the up the game in this immaculate preview. It’s the essence of an India-Pakistan encounter that gets people going. Both India and Pakistan are heading into the game with two wins out of two to their names. Who comes out on top here?
rajith: “mark my word, this match will be remembered for bumrah brilliance , he will deliver once in a life time performance”
12.45pm Shashank Kishore, our eyes and ears from the ground is currently grooving to some Shankar Mahadevan songs and sends this in. There’s a musical festival on in the middle, but it isn’t still quite as exciting as walking first up to get a glimpse of the pitch for head coach Rahul Dravid. Has a long, long examination of the surface, shadow bats for a bit and then sees Mickey Arthur walk up to him from the corner of his eye. They greet each other, chat and disperse as Dravid joins the Indian team as they set shop on the side net.
He further adds: Motera’s just around 50% full. Massive, massive queues of people waiting to get in. The main intersection and the roads leading to the stadium were shut for 30 minutes to create a green channel for the players and officials.
Moti Prakash: “Cricket fans need to see this scorecard” Oh, yes
12.35pm And the atmosphere in the stadium is that of a festival. Before the game, a number of Indian singers such as Sukhwinder Singh, Shankar Mahadevan and Arijit Singh are set to perform. The atmosphere is likely to be electric, with dignitaries and celebrities all set to be in attendance.
12.25pm The Pakistan team bus has arrived, so has the Indian team. The fans have started making their presence felt in the stadium. There are a total of 35 parking lots, 120 food stalls – How Motera is shaping up for Ind vs Pak. Yash Jha reports on the prep around the stadium ahead of Saturday’s marquee World Cup match. “If you travel around Ahmedabad, it seems there is some sort of festivity,” he says.
Ahsan Nazir: “In the 2003 World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar was exceptionally lethal. While everyone praises Sachin for his performance that day, which he rightfully deserves, the way Dravid and Mohammad Kaif played against Shoaib Akhtar was truly remarkable. On that day, Shoaib was capable of defending even the last 40 runs, had Dravid and Mohammad Kaif given him even a slight chance.”
Sidd: “As an Indian fan, its the 2011 India vs Pakistan semi final. Set up by Tendulkar’s masterclass and Wahab Riaz’s magnifcent 5fer. Finished in the end by all Indian bowlers taking 2 each. Lets not forget that year India ended the 28 year drought…”
Vinod Rajpal: “Hello Ashish, before we start, What does the weather say presently?” Bright and sunny with a little bit of breeze blowing across.
On that note, let’s hear in the comments. What are your favourite memories of an India-Pakistan encounter?
Akash: “Picking up WC trophy is a want. Winning in Ind vs Pak is a need.”
12.15pm Can Pakistan change history? Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, says why not – all streaks are meant to be broken. But in front of an vociferous crowd and against a raging Indian side who have brushed aside Australia and Afghanistan quite convincingly so far – it’s going to take some doing. But if they do, it is going to give Pakistan’s World Cup a massive shot in the arm.
12.10pm As far as men’s ODI World Cup is concerned, India lead Pakistan by a 7-0 margin. It is a score line that needs no reminding to both sets of fans. Let’s see what happened the last seven times these two sides met in a 50-over World Cup.
1992 – The arrival of a young Sachin Tendulkar
1996 – Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail
1999 – Venkatesh Prasad bags five
2003 – Sachin vs Shoaib
2011 – A semifinal, missed chances galore, Sachin stands tall
2015 – Virat Kohli arrives
2019 – Rohit Sharma goes big
Hamza: “Pak fan here. Waited four whole years for this moment and now did not want this moment to come because we may have to wait another four years to end this losing streak. Time matters :(“
12.00pm Lights. Camera. India vs Pakistan. Take 8.
Over the years the venues have changed, the World Cup has moved from one country to another, old players have retired with a fresher lot coming in. But what’s not changed is the atmosphere and build-up surrounding an India-Pakistan encounter. In this beautiful sport of ours, it’s second to none.
Is it going to be the same today? You betcha.
An expected 132,000 people are expected to assemble in Ahmedabad, a decent chunk being celebrities, industrialists, politicians, friends of politicians and, of course, cricket administrators. If the World Cup was going at a sedate pace so far, don’t worry, it’s going to spring to life and more today. Yes, it’s match no. 12 of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Just another group game on paper. But, you know it’s a lot more than just another game. It’s India vs Pakistan.
I am Ashish Pant and will soon be joined by Danyal Rasool as we bring to you every little detail from Ahmedabad. Buckle in, we are in for a ride.
Ankit Agrawal: “Is it just me or there are a lot of near misses at the boundry. Luck not favouring India and Shreyas Iyer in particular. ” Possibly. I have felt that while none of them were misfields, there haven’t been any outstanding stops on the boundary either. Fielders on better days maayy just have converted those fours into 3s or 2s
Time to hear from the captains. First up it’s Shanto in place of the injured Shakib: “Shakib has gone for a scan after that we’ll know more. We didn’t bat well, same as the last match. We need to improve in the first 15 overs. There was a bit of extra bounce with the new ball but after that the wicket was quite. The top order needs to bat more responsibly. It was a good wicket, so we just needed to be a bit more responsible at the start. Last match we didn’t bowl well but today everyone showed their character. If they continue like this it will be very good going forward. The biggest improvement is our fast bowling, if we bat well in the next few games it will be a different ball game.”
Nitsy: “It’s too early to judge NZ’s performance considering their first four matches include BAN, AFG, NED which are the weakest teams in this tournament (mean no disrespect). ” — Conveniently omitting that England game? But yes, India and SA will be the big tests.
Tom: “When Boult said 250 is par total, he really meant it, but not with Bangladesh bowling, some other top team’s bowling.” — I do think Bangladesh bowled quite well early on, but I agree that some other sides might offer a little more penetration – something that’s crucial when defending a low score.
Lockie Ferguson is the Player of the Match: “It was a good team effort. Created pressure throughout, meant that I could do my role really. Compared to Hyderabad this had more bounce. I tried to test it out early with newer ball. But it was a good all-round performance by the boys. It’s early stages, but it’s certainly nice three wins. But a long way to go. [on experience in India] Yeah it’s nice, haven’t played here before though, so nice to see a bit of pace on the wicket, we have Afghanistan next so hope to see a similar wicket.”
9.40pm So NZ chase these down comfortably in the end. Daryll Mitchell sees it through, and it would have likely been alongside Kane Williamson had he not had to retire hurt with what looked like a thumb injury. Glenn Phillips also offered some lusty blows at the death to add gloss to the finish. It was a chase that Bangladesh looked to make difficult at the start with some miserly bowling, but in Williamson they had a man who is rarely rushed. Along with Mitchell, he saw through a difficult period and then just ran down the runs with consummate ease. As for Bangladesh, they will rue losing their top order to some loose strokeplay. It meant a lot of work to the lower order, and in the end they were probably about 30-50 runs short.
Bairstow has scratched his mark, it will be Mustafizur Rahman to start proceedings at this beautiful venue (which looks about a tenth full right now…)
We are into match no. 7 of the ODI World Cup and approximately 1457 metres above sea level at the scenic Dharamsala, the venue for today’s clash between England and old nemesis Bangladesh. Why nemesis you ask. Chattogram 2011, Adelaide 2015 – the two dates England fans are not likely to forget anytime soon. The latter brought about a reform in the England white-ball side so big that the entire outlook of how teams look at the ODIs now has changed. It also served as a catalyst to England’s World Cup win in 2019.
Those things are in the past. But as far as confidence goes, it is Bangladesh who are on top. They started off their ODI World Cup in style by brushing aside Afghanistan quite comfortably at this very venue three days back. England on the other hand were served a nine-wicket drubbing at the hands of New Zealand in the opening game of the World Cup.
Dharamsala is expected to be kinder to England than what Ahmedabad did. The temperatures are expected to be closer to home. The ball travels faster at the high altitude, and their fast bowlers should expect a lot of assistance. But Bangladesh have the advantage of staying in Dharamsala longer and knowing the conditions better. Will that make a difference? I am Ashish Pant, and will soon be joined by Alan Gardner, as we seek all the answers.
10.28am: The anthems have been anthemed, and the players are getting into position. The ball should fly at altitude… time to see if the defending attacking champions can find their mojo
10.20am: Morning all. The hours are still wee and small where I am, but Dharamsala looks up for the Cup – and England will need to be too, having lost their opening game, and against a Bangladesh side with whom they have plenty of World Cup history. My caffeine infusion has done the job and we’ll be getting underway shortly
Meanwhile, it’s a big day for Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow, who received his 100th cap from Eoin Morgan before the toss. Matt wrote before the game about how he’s still banging the door down, 12 years after his debut in the format
As I scamper for some coffee, here’s Alan who is up nice and early. Morning, Alan. Hope that coffee served you well.
In the USA, you can watch the Bangladesh vs England match LIVE on ESPN+.
As usual, live ball-by-ball commentary for the match is also available in Hindi
Playing XI:
Bangladesh: 1 Litton Das, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Towhid Hridoy, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley
khizer: “surprisingly no Ben! Is he not fit Yet”. Not yet.
Ibrahim: “Good toss to win for BD. Regardless of the conditions, BD needed to chase this game. There’s added benefits of good pace condition at start. “
10am Toss: Jos Buttler has the coin, tails is the call from Shakib Al Hasan and it is a tail. Bangladesh win the toss and will field first. One change each for both sides.
Shakib Al Hasan: Little cooler than the other day. We have one change. Hope the fast bowlers can put in a good show. [On Mehidy] His batting has improved, he is one of the leaders at the moment in the team. We have to be at our best to get a result.
Jos Buttler: We were looking to field as well. One change for us. Reece Topley in for Mooen Ali. Looking to put in a good performance. We are expecting to bounce back. [Outfield] Got to be a little bit smart. Want to block it out and focus on the skill.
Toss time
Pitch report: “There has been some talk about the outfield. There has been some challenge for the guys while diving, in the run-up. Bowling wise you could scuff things up. Mid 70 m straight down the ground. The square boundaries are 61 and 66 m square respectively. But at the altitude the ball travels,” says Shaun Pollock. “The colour of the pitch is light brown over black soil. There has been a lot of rain, about 48% more rain than what they get during this time of the year. There was 7mm grass, they have cut it down to 3. Pitch will be hard to start for batting, but get better as the day progresses. Most definitely there will be assistance for the fast bowlers early, but it will be less in speed,” reckons Dinesh Karthik.
9.55am ICYMI Ben Stokes is highly unlikely to play this game as he continues to recover from a sore hip. He has batted in the nets twice since England arrived in Dharamsala, moving much more freely when he faced spinners on Monday morning than he did when batting against sidearm throws on Sunday afternoon.
Neal: “Reece Topley should play today, England’s bowling lacked penetration against NZ. “
9.50am As we get ready for the toss, here’s Andrew Miller setting up the scene for the game in his preview. Matt chimes in: Looks like England XI will be per our preview, so Topley in for Moeen as the only change. Pitch has a very light covering of live grass. Outfield looks pretty similar to yesterday after a big electrical storm at about midnight – sun is out this morning. England’s four quicks – Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Reece Topley, Mark Wood – have marked their run-ups.
9.40am The sandy Dharamsala outfield has hogged more headlines than the pitch and that’s because of what happened in the opening game here. The Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott felt Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky to escape without a serious injury after his left knee went into the outfield when he put in a dive. Jos Buttler described the outfield as “poor” and questioned the venue’s fitness to host a World Cup fixture. But the ICC are comfortable with the outfield although Buttler has urged his players to be careful when diving in the deep.
Mahmud: “Hello Ashish. I heard there was a substantial amount of rain last night. What’s the weather like today? Is there a possibility of more rain? And how’s the condition of the pitch?” There was quite a storm in Dharamsala last night. Matt Roller, our eyes and ears at the ground, however, says that there is bright sunshine this morning so we should be good to get a full game going our way.
Howdy do, knowledgeable cricinfo reader. Shane Watson has just brought the World Cup out on to the pitch at Chepauk, and we are almost ready to get cooking. Hope you’re ready to feel the heat, because it looks like we could be in for a Chennai scorcher
1.45pm Fifteen minutes to the first ball. The crowd is growing in size and volume. Perfect time for Alan Gardner to take the comms seat.
Australia XI: D Warner, M Marsh, S Smith, M Labuschagne, G Maxwell, A Carey (wk), C Green, P Cummins (capt), M Starc, A Zampa, J Hazlewood.
India XI: R Sharma (capt), I Kishan, V Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), H Pandya, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, J Bumrah, K Yadav, M Siraj
Toss: 1.30pm The crowd’s building up and Rohit Sharma has a wild flick of the coin. Australia win the toss – will bat first.
Pat Cummins: “We’re in a really good spot, we’ve got a good balance between game time and being fresh. Head is still in Adelaide and Stoinis is not ready yet.”
Rohit Sharma: “The conditions are there for the bowlers, slightly on the slower side, the ball will turn as the game goes on. We’ve covered all our bases. Unfortunately Shubman didn’t recover in time. Ishan will replace him.”
1.25pm A bit of colour from the ground. It is Ravindra Jadeja who is leading the team talk in the huddle. He has a ton of experience at this venue and will be a key resource for Rohit to rely on today. A member of Australia’s support staff is the hype man in the Aussie huddle and the visitors are wearing a smile on their faces.
Pitch report: “Could be two-paced, little bit on the slower side. Fast bowling won’t be easy either, especially back of the length,” Ravi Shastri says. “India will be tempted to play three spinners. Won’t be surprised even if Australia play atleast two. Don’t underestimate Zampa on this surface.”
27.7K votes
Pete: “But as Metallica will tell you, the soothing light at the end of the tunnel could just be a freight train coming your way. Question is, is Ashwin the freight train coming to smash Australia… or is he about to meet the “train” of Warner, Smith, Maxwell, et al?”
Jasprit Bumrah, today: “Body feels good. You miss the feeling of contributing to the team so excited for the tournament. We are one of the few lucky ones to play a home World Cup. Australia will make for cracking competition. Feeling is relaxed because we’ve played a lot of cricket recently. We were fresh and trained even when there wasn’t any warm-up game. Will try to enjoy the occasion because in a big tournament you tend to overthink and go beyond the situation. It will be a little hot.”
A reminder that we’ve got you covered from all angles today (and every day of the WC tbh). Alagappan Muthu is manning the Live Blog, alongside comms in Hindi and Tamil too.
Fans from the USA can also watch LIVE on ESPN+
DJ: “I have been it hard to get excited about this world cup, i hope today changes that. Zampa is going to key here. If India dont lose wickets to him, they will win this one.”
“Every tunnel has light at the end of it, but only those in the tunnel who believe in the light will live to see it.” That’s been plastered on R Ashwin’s wall at home, and for the spin-bowling allrounder, the light is indeed here. An injury to Axar Patel has brought him into the squad, and don’t be surprised if he walks right into this XI. I mean — how could you not? Especially at his home ground. Here’s more from Karthik Krishnaswamy.
India will also have to make a decisive call over Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav.
12.55pm What makes Australia dangerous is the number of quality allrounders their best XI has. Steyn feels Cam Green can do ‘magic’, Glenn Maxwell could be the point of difference and Mitchell Marsh has never looked better. There are question marks over Marcus Stoinis’ availability today, but the quality of David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and the bowling unit should not worry Australia too much.
12.40pm We must dive into the cricket right away because news is that Shubman Gill HAS NOT TRAVELLED to the ground. The man with five ODI hundreds in 2023 and a batting average of 72 in 2023 will not start owing to dengue, and now the question is – who starts instead? Wasim Jaffer and Dale Steyn say there’s only one right answer.
Mustafa Moudi: “Fun Fact: 36 years ago, Both these sides faced each other at Chennai in the World Cup 1987. It was one of the most competitive match in the World Cup, as Australia won narrowly by just 1 Run. Interestingly, Their opening pair was David Boon and Geoff Marsh while this time their opening pair will be another David (Warner) and Geoff’s son Mitch Marsh!”
It’s been four days since the World Cup started, but “apologies to the other teams, today is when it really feels that the tournament is bursting to life.” Sambit Bal wrote in from Chennai, reflecting on what’s at stake for both teams.
12.10pm The first words of a new book in Indian cricket are set to be written today as the hosts open their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the world’s most followed national team enjoying the privilege of playing the World Cup at home. Anything less than the trophy would feel like a disappointing campaign to their fans, and Rohit Sharma’s side come into the World Cup having to balance public expectation over and above facing quality teams who are as desperate to lay their hand on the title too.
One of them are Australia, who won here in 1987 and were only stopped by a Yuvraj Singh special in 2011. They are the Kings of the ODI World Cup with five titles and even if recent form suggests a slump, when their star players congregate together at the same time, they are truly world-class. There are no easy games at the World Cup, but none more so than facing each other in the very first encounter. Concerns over injury and illness will also test both managements, as will the pressure of making the correct tactical decisions. We’ll dive into all that very soon, but for now, here’s Sreshth Shah with a very warm welcome (yup – that’s the weather report snuck in as well) alongside Alan Gardner. We’re buzzing for this encounter and hope you are too.
Temba Bavuma, South Africa captain: Happy. We wanted to win and did that. As a batter, nothing to find fault in. Asked for a clinical performance with ball. Didn’t get that but individual performances were good. Probably a blessing in disguise that we lost the toss. Ball came on to the bat better when the lights came on. The point was to adjust with the conditions today. We had a certain perception, thought it’d be a bit more variable but it didn’t. Probably didn’t adjust early enough, to their main batter being Mendis. Kesh took the pace off and was very good. Maybe need to add spin options, these are the learnings we have to take. Challenge would be adapting there again. Quinton will be fine, didn’t field but will be fine.
Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: I expected a high-scoring game. Rassie, Quinny, Markram got great hundreds. We were missing lengths regularly, execution wasn’t good. When we play again, we need to change that. We expected to keep them to 350-370, we thought it’d be manageable given Asalanka and Mendis’ form but we couldn’t deal with the extra runs. Tough one to manage things while missing three key bowlers. But you know that’s part of the game. I’m happy with the positive intent with bat; first ten overs with ball was good too. Need to sharpen up for the next game.
Aiden Markram, POTM: Says his fastest WC ODI ton makes him feels fantastic. That it comes off some days, doesn’t on others. That it’s fantastic today. I know what’s expected of me as a batter. We’re marrying being positive with being smart. Great how it’s coming together in the last 12 months. Initially, you want to get a feel for the wicket and find out the options you can take and then back it, regardless of the result, and trying things out that may not be in your repertoire. Wicket played well, ball travelled, was an entertaining game. Nice to be on the right side of the result. Really happy with how it went tonight.
Mustafa Moudi : “So far in the first 4 matches of the edition have alternative results – Chasing sides won the 1st and 3rd ODI while Defending sides won the 2nd and the 4th Match !!”
M.: “Great fight by SL. Only difference was the 3 batters who got 50’s for SA converted to 100’s whereas SL’s 3 batters with 50’s couldn’t convert here.”
10:17pm A 102-run win. Margin might be smaller than what South Africa would’ve expected a while ago. But Shanaka’s 68 dragged the innings further, so did Rajitha’s cameo. Some mitigation comes from the fact that 754 runs were scored in the 94.5 overs today and that all of South Africa’s bowlers struck.
Mendis was exceptional in the powerplay, he kept going despite Jansen getting both openers in the phase. The pick-up shots were a treat. But he fell, tickling a cut off Rabada to the keeper. Coetzee and Maharaj then chipped in to put Sri Lanka under deeper pressure. But the last five wickets cost South Africa 176 runs. Shanaka found some form as well. South Africa, hence, didn’t get as big a net-run-rate spike but still managed a win over a hundred runs.
Our statistician, Sampath Bandarupalli, shares an interesting fact: Pakistan is making history today by becoming the first team in international cricket to play two different formats on the same day–a T20I in the Asian Games and an ODI in the World Cup. I’m Rvel Zahid, and I’ll be bringing you all the action.
That’s it from this game. This is Rvel Zahid saying goodbye on behalf of Hemant Brar. But there’s another match that is underway, so why don’t you hop over to South Africa versus Sri Lanka match coverage
So, Bangladesh bag their first two points. They didn’t put a foot wrong and were clearly the superior side today. They bowled beautifully and restricted Afghanistan to an untaxing total. With no scoreboard pressure, Bangladesh were not in a rush to get over the line and played smartly, building small partnerships and being patient against the likes of Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi. As for Afghanistan, their bowling was spot on, but once again, with not enough runs on the board, they faced an uphill battle.
Afghanistan will have some questions to ask of their top and middle order, which couldn’t capitalize after getting a decent start and they didn’t really bat with much intelligence and discipline, playing rash shots and not laying a platform for a decent total which eventually hurt them in their opening game.
However, this is still the nascent stage of the tournament and we all know they will come back from this early jolt and challenge all the other teams. Meanwhile, Bangladesh showed a lot of mettle and didn’t let emotions get better of them while chasing the target and were quite mature and level-headed in their approach. Scintillating half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto will inspire plenty of confidence in the team that looks confident and is raring to pursue their quest to win the World Cup
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan Captain: We had a good start but at the middle after fall of first wicket, we had bad shot selection but their bowlers bowled very tight. I think we fought well (in the field) but the score wasn’t enough. Still we had a good fight and we look forward to our upcoming games. We should learn from our mistakes and we have to (focus) on the England game
Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh Captain: We didn’t get the start we wanted, everyone believed once we get a wicket, we could get more (quickly). It wasn’t easy but I am very happy the way we bowled. We have been training really hard in the last few days and we didn’t want to make any excuse that the ground isn’t ideal and we talked about that in the dressing room (that we have to adjust and play well despite the conditions) I am happy to contribute with my bowling, as I said all our five bowlers chipped in, they contributed, spinners played a bigger role but it’s a long tournament, I am sure fast bowlers will contribute more. Mehidy, Shanto…these are our inform players; they are always confident and want to do well for the team.
Mehidy Hasan: It’s a great moment for me. I did a lot of hard work in the past. The team management deserves credit. I was a little bit cautious in my mind early on while bowling but the captain told me to bowl at the right areas and told me to be consistent and that gave me confidence so credit goes to the captain. (on batting) I go for ball by ball and how to get better on this surface. The wicket was turning a little bit but I tried to stay (on the crease). I always play at number 8 so it was a great opportunity to bat in the top order. I always have the hungriness so definitely it’s a great moment for me to perform.
Isam pings that this is Bangladesh’s biggest win in terms of balls remaining in a World Cup. Previous best was 52 versus Netherlands in the 2011 World Cup
AdnanKapri: “Not expecting anything like that in this Match from Afghanistan After How they play in Asia cup Credit Must goes to Bangladesh they Beaten Afghanistan In every department.”
Erfan : “I wanted to share some thoughts on Bangladesh’s performance today in the World Cup cricket match against Afghanistan. While the opening might not have been ideal, the team showed great resilience and maturity. The bowling was tight and impressive, and it’s promising to see this level of performance. Let’s hope for even better performances in the upcoming matches”
Mohi: “BD could have go hard after scoring 120 as the run rate will be crucial in this tournament. I guess they missed a chance”
Awais: “So Bangladesh finishing on top on the points table.”
Ahmad Mostak: “Well, Bangladesh has started the World Cup with nagin dance.”
Consistency and certainties are often virtues in tournament play but not always. Pakistan have 1992 if not 2017 reasons to show that that’s not always the case. But the historical numbers and narratives need perspective to gauge Pakistan’s status quo ahead of their first game in India in over a decade and the start of their World Cup campaign. Count on Osman Samiuddin nailing his verbs verbing his nails to hammer the points home.
Omer: “Ekanth, Is batting first always the best option in India?” Shane Watson just said bowling first might be ideal and the pitch will ease up as the game goes on. It happened yesterday too. If dew is an issue, it certainly can be.
1:20 While the Hyderabadi heat can overwhelm teams that haven’t played here, the conditions are not completely alien for Teja Nidamanuru, who has heritage in the state and whose story is as fascinating as any. Check it out. Not too dissimilar is the tale of Logan van Beek, who is a worldie in the most literal sense. His story’s here. They have an eclectic group of players and are radiating with positivity and eyeing a semi-final.
LIVE – Ball-by-ball commentary for the match is also available in Hindi and in Tamil.
Jon: “NL you win toss you bat first – bowl first and you might not have a chance as they will bat you out of the game.”
Usama Sani : “Hello from Sukkur, Pakistan. Big temptation to play the leggie Usama Mir, but I feel PAK will go with their tried and tested combination in order to give the likes of Fakhar and Shadab a chance to find their groove. That said, the excitement back home in PAK is palpable as they head into their first WC clash in 12 years. ” Yep, guessing you mean ODI WC clash in India.
1:10pm Naseem Shah missing the World Cup due to a shoulder injury is a huge blow to Pakistan. It’s changed their recent trajectory, as Danyal notes in the match preview. Fakhar Zaman and, more importantly, Shadab Khan’s form, or lack thereof, is a concern as well. But they have Hasan Ali to add cover to the bowling and as Osman Samiuddin writes in the aforementioned piece, all Fakhar might need is a scratchy fifty to get going. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are the big guns they’ll rely on with the bat along with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf with ball.
In the USA, the Netherlands vs Pakistan match is LIVE on ESPN+.
Sundeep: “I would support Netherlands today not because I am an Indian but I want Netherlands to start their nervous worldcup campaign with a high note winning against one of the best teams in the current cricket world!!!”
Anurag: “2 different Pakistan teams are playing today, thousands of kms apart. Are we living the future of cricket?” Yep, by the way, Pakistan are all out for 115 against Afghanistan in the Asian Games
Saroosh Khan: “It’s really hot in Hyderabad ! Pakistan played two warmup games in HYD and they better know the conditions, and will won this game.” Yup, sun’s blazing right now.
Khan: “I guess this is the 1st time in the history of Cricket Pakistan to play two international matches on the same day.” It is indeed.
Obaid rahimi ma: “FYI, Sediq Atal hit six sixes in a single over in the domestic league at Kabul, It’s time to repeat that historic inning.
Ebad Khan: “@jadoon it is not gonna happen look at the pitch, I am wondering why would one pick 2 wicket-keepers while you have spinning all-rounders available and what is the point of having Afsar Zazai at No.8/9 “
M Usman Mehsood: “A very busy day for Pakistani fans as we two international games.Pakistan vs Afghanistan and Pakistan vs Netherlands. “
zeeshan: “not only “Karim Jannat” but also “Fareed Ahmad”
Umair : “@Jadoon, Asif vs Karim Jannat is a old story now. I am waiting for Asif vs Fareed Ahmed
Jadoon: “Asif Ali vs Karim Janat needs to happen”
Gyan: “Afghanistan has the highest potential to make upset. Let’s see what they come up with today. They have scared all big times in the past few months, can they make it past the line today?
Toss and line-ups coming shortly. Stay tuned
1:25pm: It’s an opportunity for youngsters brimming with talent to etch their name in the cricketing folklore and make a name for themselves. New players will try to enhance their reputation and stake a claim for a spot in the main team
Aziz El Sabri : “Greetings from Kabul, it’s a holiday here in Afghanistan and having a paratha with omelet plus doodh pati (milk tea) and waiting for this blockbuster is what you need on a holiday.” That sounds like a great combination. Enjoy the match!
Ebad Khan: “Hopefully, Afghanistan adds Zubaid Akbari to the XI as it is a spinner’s heaven and of course, he can add value as a batter at the top of the order. Good luck to both team”
1:15pm: Now then, Pakistan versus Afghanistan is a rivalry in its own right. Emotions can get out of control during Afghanistan-Pakistan contests, particularly in closely-fought matches. There’s seldom a dull moment when these two neighbors lock horns. So, how did these two teams reach the semifinals?
Well, Pakistan outsmarted Hong Kong on a tricky pitch after being sent into bat first and were in a spot of bother, finding it tough to suss out the conditions, but they consolidated well after an early loss of wickets. Some carnage from Aamir Jamal in the final overs resurrected Pakistan’s innings, helping them reach a respectable total of 160, which proved to be enough on a surface with plenty of assistance for spinners and pacers. Pakistan bowlers landed it in the right areas and discombobulated Hong Kong as the awkward bounce created many problems.
Hong Kong had a particularly tough time negotiating with the spin and folded on just 92. On the other hand, Afghanistan were on the verge of elimination after managing to hold their nerve in a low-scoring match against Sri Lanka. They set a modest target of 116 for Sri Lanka, with Noor Ali Zadran’s patient half-century being the highlight. However, Nuwan Thusara pegged them back by shedding four wickets in a scorching spell. Thereon, Sri Lanka had no answers to the probing questions posed by Gulbadin Naib and Qais Ahmad, and they ended up falling short of the target by eight runs.
Pakistan boasts a well-rounded lineup with a wealth of international experience that could certainly put pressure on Afghanistan whose key players are involved in the World Cup. Afghanistan still have a strong batting lineup, featuring the likes of Sediqullah Atal and Mohammad Shahzad, as well as the experience of Gulabdin Naib and Karim Janat down the order
1:10pm: Earlier today, no feathers were ruffled as India eased past Bangladesh in the first semifinal in a quite unflappable manner, making a strong statement. Their gun bowling was too hot to handle for Bangladesh. Now, the question is, will it be Pakistan or Afghanistan joining India in the race for the gold medal? Whatever happens, this promises to be a cracker!
NZ have started the World Cup with a bang. They’ve found a new hero in Rachin Ravindra. He might not have even played had Ferguson been fit. He has now made himself undroppable. Thanks for tuning in today. Until next time, this is Deivarayan Muthu signing off on the behalf of Andrew Miller. Take care and cheers
8.40pm No Williamson. No Southee. No Ferguson. No Bracewell. No problem for NZ as they dispatch defending champions England in Ahmedabad. After winning the toss, NZ limited England’s power-packed line-up to 282 for 9, thanks in no small part to Mitch Santner and Matt Henry. Sam Curran then struck with his first ball to dismiss Will Young for a duck in NZ’s chase, but Conway and Ravindra struck up a stunning stand to smash England’s attack. Conway made a career-best 152* while Ravindra become NZ’s youngest World Cup centurion at 23. Stay locked in for the post-match presentation.
Rachin Ravindra, Player of the Match: Sometimes it’s unbelievable at times, but great to have a great day out. The bowlers bowled well and lucky enough to have Devon out there. I spent a lot of time with Dev and we are very, very close mates. I was little more comfortable and I have a lot of chat with Dev – being able to do that in the middle is cool. For sure, if you asked us four-five years, we all knew the kind of player Dev would become. The surface was very good and lovely to bat on, similar to the warm-up game in Hyderabad.
Jos Buttler, England captain: Disappointing day. Very much outplayed by NZ and tough defeat to take. It’s still one loss in a long tournament. I think a lot of guys in our team have played a lot of cricket – we won’t be too down on ourselves and won’t be too high on the other side. I thought we were well below par. We were aiming for somewhere around 330 and it [the pitch] somewhat played better under lights. We just lacked being clinical with your execution. Some of the dismissals were right shots but not executed properly. I think NZ played some great cricket shots and got great value for them. Devon Conway – can’t think of massive shots but he scored quickly. Him and Rachin put together a fantastic partnership and we were well beaten. I think the pitch skidded on better under lights but we played a long way short of our best. Don’t think there’s any question around Root. He’s been our best player in our team for a long while. We will wait and see (on Ben Stokes?). Fingers crossed, he can get fit as soon as possible.
Tom Latham, NZ captain: Obviously, a fantastic partnership between Rachin and Devon. From the 30-over mark onwards, to restrict them to 280 was fantastic. It has been a quick build-up – the warm-ups and guys from Bangladesh. We’ve played a bit in these conditions and I thought we adapted to these conditions beautifully. The two seamers – Henners and Boulty – did a great job and took wickets at crucial times. To restrict them to 280 was outstanding. Probably, the most pleasing thing was Devon and Rachin just reacted to what was being bowled. Rachin played a fantastic innings and proud of him. Looking forward to get around him tonight.
Mitch Santner speaks to Star Sports: Obviously, England are a tough opponent and probably a good toss to win. It looked like it skidded on under lights. Hats off to Devon and Rachin. Lockie had soreness and it kind of changed the balance of the team. Rachin made the most of his opportunity and he showed that he’s a world-class player. These two love batting together. They do domestically and love it. We’ve seen Conway’s quality for a while and Rachin played well during the warm-ups. They just want to keep batting and batting, which is good for us. I thought we got wickets at crucial times and Matt Henry’s wicket of Jos…
Arvind: “Incredible to see Rachin being so articulate and charming after being in the field for 99 overs in this heat…a megastar in the making.”