World Cup: Why Pakan can no longer bank on miracles | Cricket-world-cup News

Much of the stadium had emptied out when Australia applied the finishing touches to an eventually-comprehensive victory. Some lingered in the aisles, wondering whether the game would have one final tw. Some clung on to cheer for David Warner, the ageless crowd-puller, receiving the Player of the Match plaque and waving at them.

Australia overcome the Pakan challenge in Bengaluru to make it two in two at #CWC23 👊#AUSvPAK 📝: https://t.co/TAoZkxKoHP pic.twitter.com/OdCVA0ldbl
— ICC (@ICC) October 20, 2023
But the one final turn did not arrive, though until the 40th over, a miracle circled over the stadium like the eagles.
It’s both the beauty and burden of watching Pakan. They ignite hopes of the impossible, the inviting aroma of a miracle, and then suddenly pack up. They can be thrilling to watch, and nerve-wracking too.
It’s an assault on the senses of their supporters, neutrals and even the fans of their opponents. Half the reason the audience believed in a miracle was Pakan’s own thrilling chase against Sri Lanka a week ago. But Australia are no Sri Lanka, they possess a well-drilled attack, which has yet to click in unison, but they somehow get the job done.
The moment Australia put on 367 — it could have been more had not Pakan’s bowlers made a stirring comeback in the last 10 overs— it was always going to be something akin to a wild goose chase. Only three bigger chases have ever been accomplished in this format.
But Pakan hoped, as they always do. For a chunk of the game, they seemed justified too. But all hopes were stubbed out when Adam Zampa snitched Rizwan, hero of the tournament-record chase against Sri Lanka. He could not be a miracle worker again in the space of a week. Try as he did, in his typically busy fashion, slugging and lofting with the eye of a sniper, he fell to the wiles of Zampa, who is making quite a comeback in the tournament. The googly is his most devilish weapon.
It fetched him the two most important wickets in the game. When Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed were throwing the kitchen sink at everything, rewriting their own chase-record seemed plausible. But Zampa just strolled in, ripped a wrong’un and had Ahmed trapped in front.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood celebrates the wicket of Pakan’s Usama Mir during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakan in Bengaluru. (AP Photo)
He would deliver the biggest blow a few overs later, with a shorter and less skiddy googly that Rizwan completely missed. He reviewed to no avail, and as he walked back, Pakan could see their hopes drifting into the dark and ominous skies. The crowd would slowly file out of the stadium, disappointed at the tepid finish, but enthralled the glut of runs.
It was vindication that Pakan could no longer hinge on miracles to win games. The Lanka he was a one-off. A repeat, or a semi-repeat, was unrealic. The semifinal spot is not out of their reach, but they have deeper problems to address, like their new-ball bowling, their profligacy in the middle overs, and their lless fielding. Their bowling at the death was exceptional, but that does not always compensate for the early shoddiness. Two 340-plus totals against them in three games paint an ugly picture. A downcast Babar admitted as much in the post-match interview. “The first 34 overs with the bowl and in the field cost us. We dropped Warner and such batsmen ensure that they cash in. We got small partnerships but needed big ones in the middle. Honestly, we have to get up to the mark in the first 10 with the ball and partnerships in the middle with the bat,” he said.

An explosive partnership of 259 runs between David Warner and Mitchell Marsh was Australia’s highest-ever ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup stand for the first wicket 💪#CWC23 | #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/OjkFdEXzlp
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 20, 2023
That there were moments Pakan ignited realic prospects of hauling down the total would be little consolation. Abdullah Shafiqiue and Imam-ul-Haq soaked all the pressure of an imposing total and batted freely, sustaining the run rate without resorting to risks. Shafique especially looked undaunted, driving crisply and pulling emphatically. Imam showed clinical finesse in punishing loose balls, which Australia were unusually liberal with.
the 15th over, they had purred to 94/0. Shafique was especially severe on Pat Cummins, whom he pulled for a couple of sixes, besides a languid drive. Five overs later, they breezed to 131. Pakan could sense something special unravelling; Australia could sniff panic. Cummins wore a shocked and pallid look. He had played every trick he knew. Pakan has plastered a solid foundation, but the night was still young.Most Read
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Just then, when Shafique and Imam seemed as invulnerable as Marsh and Warner, Marcus Stoinis breathed hope. The all-rounder had been largely ineffectual thus far in the tournament, struggling with both bat and ball. But with his first ball, he made Shafique miscue a pull. The ball was barely 130kph, but well-directed into his body and a trifle slippery. Stoinis could be quicker than what his casual run-up indicates. His night would get sunnier, as he despatched Imam. The ball, again, was nothing special, just well-directed and Imam top-edged. Stoinis celebrated wildly, flexing his hulk-like biceps as though this was a Mr Universe contest.
Pakan’s dilemma was understandable; they couldn’t afford to play out a few overs. The run rate would soar. But they couldn’t afford to take risks, for every single wicket would push them down the slope.
Pakan chose the route of chaos, but controlled chaos. Somehow, the boundaries kept coming. Even Babar’s departure didn’t matter; the exit of the frenetic Saud Shakeel did not bother: Iftikhar perished to a ripping wrong’un from Zampa, but there was no relenting. Without Shadab Khan, their batting was shallow, but nothing would matter as they counterpunched with abandon. In fact, there was no other path, and the path eventually led them to perdition.