‘Iske bas ki nahi hai chase karna’ – Fans react as Babar Azam gets on 18 runs while chasing target of 368 in ODI World Cup 2023 clash against Australia

In the 18th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, October 20, Australian openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh delivered a spectacular batting performance, delighting the fans. They were tasked with batting first and managed to amass an impressive total of 367 runs on the scoreboard for the Kangaroos.

On the other side, Pakistani fans had high expectations that their captain, Babar Azam, would make a significant impact during the chase. Unfortunately, this optimism was dashed as the right-handed batsman was dismissed after scoring just 18 runs. This led to severe trolling of Babar Azam on social media, with some individuals even questioning how he attained the position of the top-ranked ODI batsman.

Adam Zampa came to bowl the 27th over and got the big fish, courtesy of a superb catch from captain Pat Cummins. It was a pushed-through quick and flat delivery by the wrist-spinner, Babar rocked back to pull and made decent contact. However, his counterpart flies to his right at mid-wicket to snaffle it with both hands. Cummins put down a catch earlier but no error this time.

Brilliant batting performance by Australia

Chasing the target, Pakistan made a promising beginning in their pursuit of a 367-run target, with their openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq both scoring impressive half-centuries, contributing 64 and 70 runs, respectively. Nevertheless, Pakistan faced setbacks when Marcus Stoinis from the Australian team dismissed both openers in the 22nd and 24th over. 

Furthermore, in the 27th over, Adam Zampa claimed the wicket of Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, who departed the crease after scoring 18 runs. However, later, Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel steadied the ship but the Australian skipper got rid of Shakeel at a crucial stage of the match. 

Earlier, Australia, while batting first, showcased an outstanding batting performance, with Warner and Marsh being particularly impressive as they established a formidable 259-run partnership for the opening wicket. Nevertheless, apart from them, the rest of the batsmen failed to make significant contributions to the scoreboard. As a result, the total, which appeared likely to surpass 400 runs, was ultimately limited to 367 runs.

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/THORthayaar/status/1715383006532448329

https://twitter.com/Cricketer_sillu/status/1715384206220800237