The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Right! What a match and what a batting performance from Pakistan! Still cannot get over that partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, even if rain helped their cause! This now means that still no other team except Bangladesh are out of the World Cup semi-final contention for now. Of course, what happens a little later in Ahmedabad may change it, but as of now, quite a few teams' hopes of making the final four are alive. So, that will be all from the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for today. This is the pair of Shashwat and Bidipto taking your leave. You can switch tabs and catch the action between England and Australia right here. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Babar Azam (Pakistan captain): (On this really good win) When we started batting, we had the belief. We needed one good partnership to get things going. At the back of the mind we had the rain in mind. (On whether rain was on his mind) And actually, that is why Fakhar and I told each other that batting 15 overs together can do the job. We did not know that there would be so much rain though! But, glad to get this win, now, it will be about winning our last game and looking at other results. (On the state of the team in the tournament) We tried really hard to win some of the matches we lost, gave it our all but the outcomes were not what we wanted. But that is past now, we need to keep looking ahead and do what we can.
Kane Williamson (New Zealand captain): Obviously a nice first half and then the weather played a part but can't take much away from the way the Pakistan top-order came out. Zaman, the ground wasn't big enough for him and it was a great knock. Quite hard after getting that total on the board but for us it's about taking the positives away and moving on to our next game. They played exceptionally well, they gave themselves every chance and crossed the line. When the game's shortened it brings both teams closer but they played exceptionally well. It would have been nicer with the full fifty (overs) but there are a few things for us to touch upon and take the positives. Zaman played really well with Babar. (Complete batting performance) Sort of (laughs) - maybe we would have got 450 another day. I thought the contributions were important, many good partnerships. On this surface it can be tough on the bowlers. But a fantastic first half. Rachin is just batting fabulously. Some good signs from there and there are always small margins with the ball. You've got to take the short side out of it with the left and right combination, things can change there. But we just weren't up to it. They deserved to win.
Oh there's another consequence on the back of this result - South Africa have officially secured qualification for the semifinals since only Australia and Afghanistan can now get to 12 points out of those teams placed below them on the table.
Fakhar Zaman (who else) is the Player of the Match for that sensational innings he played. Here's what he has to say: We were chasing 402 and that was our plan to see off the first four overs. Thankfully it was my day and I was feeling lucky also. Really enjoying this moment. We know that every game is a do or die game for us. In the team meeting we spoke about playing aggressively and not for hundreds, we are not playing with that mindset. This is one of the best but I always reckon my 193 versus South Africa (was the best). Against a great side like New Zealand this was one of my best. It's all part of cricket (DLS). We wanted to play aggressive cricket.
Pakistan win by 21 runs (DLS method)!
Fakhar Zaman 126* (81) | Mohammad Wasim - 3/60 (10) Rachin Ravindra 108 (94) | Tim Southee - 1/27 (5)
There are many who will not be able to believe what the result of this match is but it is what it is and that is solely down to the brilliance of the unbeaten 194-run stand between Fakhar Zaman and his captain, Babar Azam!
Fakhar, who came back with a bang against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, took his ball-striking ability to the next level today with an outstanding 126 off only 81 balls. Yes the wicket was good to bat on and the boundaries were short, but he batted out of his skins to blast the New Zealand bowling attack out!
Both against pace and against spin, those shots over long-on and deep mid-wicket were simply sensational! And that was not all, the shots through the off-side and some slog-sweeps were also just as good.
Babar Azam played a really nice second-fiddle with his attacking partner, scoring an impressive 66 off 63 balls, playing conventional shots along the way. He did not try anything fancy and focused more on rotating strike to give Fakhar more balls to face. That was the perfect tactic to deploy!
There were a couple of rain delays. After the first one, Pakistan were 10 runs ahead of the DLS par score. After and second and final one, they actually doubled the lead and got a run more! Such was the batting prowess that a daunting task ended up getting so simplified.
New Zealand's bowling and fielding began like it should. Things were tight up front and that catch Kane Williamson took to get rid of Abdullah Shafique running backwards from mid-off was out of the top draw! But things fell apart drastically after that for them.
Rain or no rain, that batting effort after the loss of the first wicket was the key in determining the outcome of the match!
7:25 pm local time (7:25 pm IST): And that is that - the game has been called off. Pakistan win by 21 runs via DLS. An astonishing result that keeps their World Cup flame burning bright as New Zealand sink to a fourth straight defeat. Qudrat ka nizam is a real thing after all eh? Jokes aside, take nothing away from Fakhar Zaman who has pulled off something spectacular here!
7:20 pm local time (7:20 pm IST): More rain. Guess this is it then. Any moment now we should have official word.
Virender Sehwag is not one to mince words now is he? Here's how he responded to Fakhar Zaman's sensational innings in tongue-in-cheek fashion!👇
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M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
