Picture Credit: Twitter/World Cup
New Zealand locked horns with Pakistan at the ODI World Cup 2023 warm-up match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, 29 September. While it was Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who won the toss and opted to bat first, the 2019 Cricket World Cup runners-up won the match convincingly by five wickets.
Also Follow: ICC ODI World Cup 2023 warm-up matches Live Scores
While the two Pakistan openers departed early, skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Md Rizwan stitched a 100-plus run partnership, to help put a 346-run target on the board. During the skipper’s stint in the middle, a hilarious instance took place. The 28-year-old gently played a delivery bowled by one of the Kiwi spinners but as the ball rolled towards the stumps, he tried to stop it through his shoes, leaving even the commentators in splits.
Watch the video here:
As Babar Azam kept his eyes hooked on the ball at this moment, New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Latham was also constantly looking at the ball, leaving everyone in splits. This video after being shared by the official handle of Cricket World Cup, is now doing rounds on social media.
Despite the skipper Babar Azam and Md Rizwan’s 114-runs partnership and a crucial 75 off 53 balls knock by Saud Shakeel, Pakistan could not surpass the Kiwi challenge.
Talking about the other warm-up matches of the day, while the South Africa vs Afghanistan fixture was abandoned without a ball being bowled, Bangladesh registered a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
