Men in Green already poor chances of making it to the 2023 World Cup semi-finals were further damaged Wednesday afternoon at Eden Gardens in Kolkata when England chose to bat first against them.
To surpass the net run rate of New Zealand and guarantee a place in the fourth semifinal, they needed to win this game by a margin of more than 274 runs. Their prospects were always far more remote when they were batting second since they had just 2.3 overs to reach the objective. They therefore had a higher chance of winning the match on Saturday, November 11, if they batted first.
Sadly for them, on a dry pitch, England captain Jos Buttler chose to bat first after winning the toss. England also has a lot riding on this game as a victory will keep them in the running to win the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Following the events during the toss, supporters flocked to X (previously known as Twitter) to share their thoughts, with Pakistan all but eliminated from the 2023 World Cup semifinal race. Top responses include the following:
Pakistan captain Babar Azam admits toss was crucial in England clash
According to Babar Azam, his team planned to go into the match as the underdogs and aim to win handily. He Said:
“We were looking to bat first, but the toss is not in your hands. We have a good bowling attack. We will try to get them out early. Hasan Ali is not playing, Shadab is playing today. Yes, we are also looking forward to Fakhar’s innings. We will try our best, our momentum is good, so let’s see.
Babar Azam