Pakistan secured their first win in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Pakistan won their first match, beating Canada by 7 wickets. Chasing a modest target of 107 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Mohammad Rizwan anchored the chase with an unbeaten 53, guiding his team to victory with 15 balls remaining. This win keeps Pakistan‘s qualification hopes alive in the tournament.
The Turning Point: Middle Overs
Pakistan aimed for a big win to improve their Net Run Rate against the USA. However, they struggled to find boundaries during the middle overs. Despite this, the crucial 63-run partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in this phase was vital. Their partnership built a comfortable platform for Pakistan to chase down the target. Pakistan won their first match, beating Canada by 7 wickets.
In contrast, Canada‘s middle overs were far less productive. They scored fewer runs and lost two wickets during this critical phase. This lack of momentum in the middle hampered their ability to accelerate later in the innings.
Therefore, Pakistan’s strong showing in the middle overs, compared to Canada’s struggle, proved to be a decisive factor in securing their victory.
Canada’s Batting Innings: A Tale of Two Halves
Powerplay (30/2, RR: 5.00):
Despite the challenging pitch, Canada started brightly. Aaron Johnson led the charge with boundaries against Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Amir. However, their momentum was halted by a brilliant yorker from Amir that dismissed Navneet Dhaliwal. Shaheen Afridi struck back in the final over, inducing an edge from Pargat Singh.
Middle Overs (47/3, RR: 5.11):
Canada faced a setback early on when Nicholas Kirton was run out by a sharp throw from Imad Wasim. Haris Rauf then rattled their middle order with quick dismissals of Shreyas Movva and Ravindrapal Singh. Yet, Aaron Johnson kept the scoreboard ticking with his aggressive batting, smashing four sixes on his way to a fifty. A couple of fielding lapses from Pakistan also benefitted Canada. Unfortunately, Johnson’s fighting knock ended in the 14th over when Naseem Shah dismissed him.
Death Overs (29/1, RR: 4.80):
With their batting order depleted, Canada adopted a cautious approach in the death overs. They focused on rotating the strike and taking calculated risks. Saad bin Zafar, Kaleem Sana, and Dillon Heylinger ensured they saw out the remaining overs, adding valuable runs to push their total to a respectable, if slightly below-par, 106.
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Pakistan’s Steady Chase to Victory
Powerplay (28/1, RR: 4.67):
Pakistan‘s chase started cautiously. Saim Ayub played watchful shots against Kaleem Sana and Jeremy Gordon, but edged one to the keeper after a dropped chance by Dhaliwal. Babar Azam survived a caught-behind review early on. Despite some wayward bowling from Canada, Pakistan couldn’t capitalize fully in the powerplay.
Middle Overs (57/1, RR: 6.33):
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan built a crucial 63-run partnership. While they struggled to hit boundaries consistently, they rotated the strike well and kept the scoreboard ticking. Canada’s bowlers kept things tight, but occasional loose deliveries allowed Pakistan to score easy runs. Babar eventually found an edge off a full toss, ending the partnership.
Death Overs (22/1 in 2.3 overs, RR: 8.8):
Rizwan, who had been patient throughout the chase, finally unleashed his attacking game in the 16th over against Junaid Siddiqui, smashing a six over extra cover. With just a few runs needed, Fakhar Zaman was dismissed, but Usman Khan sealed the victory with a comfortable two.
Canada 106/7 (20 overs) (Johnson 52, Sana 13*; Amir 2-13, Rauf 2-26) lost by 7 wickets to Pakistan 107/3 (17.3 overs) (Rizwan 53*, Babar 33; Heyliger 2-18, Gordon 1-17)
