When you hear it first, it appears hard to believe that New Zealand, after scoring 401 runs at Cricket World Cup match, lost the game quite one-sidedly. This defeat has left New Zealand in a precarious position in the race for a semi-final spot. The Black Caps, who finished as runners-up in the 2019 World Cup, now face a challenging path to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
In a high-scoring encounter, New Zealand posted an imposing total of 401-6 in their allotted 50 overs. However, Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman played a blistering knock of 126 off just 81 balls, steering his team towards a remarkable victory via the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method, as rain interrupted play.
To secure a spot in the semi-finals, New Zealand must now win their remaining match against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, amassing a total of 10 points. They also need to maintain a superior net run rate compared to at least one of the other teams potentially finishing on the same point tally which can be Pakistan.
While this situation appears challenging, Kane Williamson remains resolute, emphasizing the need for a strong finish.
Williamson stressed the importance of maintaining a consistent approach, regardless of the scenarios that might unfold in the tournament. “I think the approach will be similar,” he said. “We can’t rely on other teams as you get down to some small margins of whether it’s run rate or your last match.”
New Zealand bowling has struggled to stay ahead in the game for last few matches. They struggled badly against Australia, then conceded 204 runs partnership for the second wicket against South Africa. Now they were obliterated by Pakistan, couldn’t restrict run flow and conceded 194 runs in 141 deliveries.
Signs aren’t good, however, Williamson is confident that his team can turn things around against Sri Lanka in the next match. He recognizes that anything can happen in a competition like this and acknowledges the challenge of adapting to varying circumstances. “Our focus is still on the cricket we want to keep playing and adjusting to what’s in front of us,” he stated.
Despite the loss, Williamson commended his batters who were exceptional against Pakistan. Rachin Ravindra’s third century of the tournament played a crucial role in New Zealand’s imposing total.
Kane Williamson also displayed grace in acknowledging Pakistan’s formidable batting performance. “The guys understood the surface was good, perhaps better than it appeared and we were able to get a competitive total,” he said.
Regarding Pakistan’s batting hero, Fakhar Zaman, Williamson was full of praise. “Obviously Zaman, when he’s going, not many grounds are big enough, but certainly this one wasn’t. And he just hit it to all parts,” he acknowledged.
Despite four losses in a row for New Zealand, Williamson appeared untroubled, which means that he has all the trust in his bowlers to make incredible comeback in the remaining matches.
