England finally ended their poor run in the ongoing ODI World Cup, 2023 on a winning note. They won the last game against Pakistan by a big margin of 93 runs, which was played at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday, November 11. The game was more of a dead rubber, as both sides did not have much chance to make it to the top four.
Pakistan, meanwhile, ended their tournament on a losing note, while also getting officially kicked out of the tournament in the seventh over of the second innings. After their ouster, New Zealand sealed a spot in the semis to face India on November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Talking Points
English batters finally find rhythm – England opted to bat first, as their batters came out on top of the power-packed Pakistani bowling unit. Opener Jonny Bairstow made 59 runs with the bat. Joe Root also got some good shots going to pile up 60 runs off 72 balls, while Ben Stokes made 84 runs off 76 balls to power England to 337 in their allotted quota of 50 overs.
David Willey bids adieu on a high – David Willey, the left-handed all-rounder made his last ODI outing a memorable one, as he scored 15 runs off just five balls with the bat. When it came to bowling, he grabbed three crucial wickets under his belt. His third wicket also became the 100th overall victim in the format, as he got adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliance.
Who Said What?
David Willey (Player of the Match), said, “The tournament hasn’t gone to plan for us as a whole which is disappointing. For me to be able to perform and get to 100 wickets in my last game has been a nice way to finish. You only have to look around the dressing room; we’ve got massive talent. There’s no doubt we’ve underperformed here which is disappointing. People might have frowned at the timing of my retirement but nit many players get to walk out on their own terms. Rob Keys said to me hope you prove me wrong and I hope I’ve done that. Proud every time I’ve pulled on this shirt.”
Jos Buttler (Winning skipper) said, “Nice to put in a good performance and finish that way. Ultimately it’s been a disappointing tournament. Lots to reflect on. Got off to a really good start, guys in the middle set it up for the end, That’s what we’re capable of, haven’t showed it enough. We shoud’ve been able to cope without Ben. We know what a class player Ben is. These last two games he’s played fantastically well. Not having him for a few games certainly was a challenge, but we’re good enough to deal with that. We spoke before the game about – if this is the last game of an era, let’s make some good memories. Wherever we go from here, today is a good day. He’s been fantastic (Willey). Always finding a way – that’s been the hallmark. A team man who’ll be missed.”
Babar (Losing skipper) said, “We conceded a few too many runs. We bowled a few loose deliveries towards the end. And out spinners’ aren’t taking wickets, which doesn’t help. That has a big effect because you need to take wickets in the middle overs. The pitch is very true and the margin of error is very low for fast bowlers, which explains the big scores we have conceded. We will sit together and take stock. We’ll take positives from this and discuss mistakes. I’m keen to lead the rebuild.”