England Triumphs Over Pakistan, Secures Spot in 2025 Champions Trophy

• England’s Strong Start: Malan and Bairstow power England to 337.
• Stokes’ Impact: Stokes’ 84 and partnership with Root define England’s dominant performance.
• Pakistan’s Defeat at 244: Despite Agha’s effort, Pakistan falls short, concluding their World Cup journey.

In a thrilling encounter at the ICC World Cup 2023, England emerged victorious against Pakistan, sealing their spot in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The clash, held at the iconic Eden Gardens on a Saturday, saw England posting a formidable total of 337 runs, setting a challenging target for Pakistan.

England’s top order, led by Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow, laid a solid foundation with an impressive 80-run partnership within the initial 13 overs. Despite losing Malan (31 runs) to Iftikhar Ahmed and Bairstow (59 runs), Joe Root and Ben Stokes orchestrated a crucial 132-run stand, putting England in a commanding position.

Stokes was the top scorer for England with a brilliant 84 runs, featuring 11 fours and two sixes. His partnership with Root (60 runs) set the stage for a daunting target. Although Shaheen Afridi dismissed Stokes just short of a century, Jos Buttler (27 off 18) and Harry Brook (30 off 17) contributed valuable late runs, propelling England to a formidable 337.

In response, Pakistan faced early setbacks as openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman fell victim to David Willey in the first three overs, leaving them struggling at 10-2. Despite efforts from skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to stabilize the innings, both departed after 22.3 overs with Pakistan at 100-4.

Salman Ali Agha displayed resilience by top-scoring with 51 runs, but the Pakistani side ultimately fell short. Late fireworks from Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr., combining for 53 runs, couldn’t rescue Pakistan as they were bowled out for 244 runs in 43.3 overs.

Haris Rauf, despite becoming the bowler to concede the most runs in a single World Cup edition, claimed three wickets for Pakistan. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Jr. secured two wickets each, while Iftikhar Ahmed managed one.

With this defeat, Pakistan concluded their World Cup campaign with four wins out of nine matches, finishing in fifth place on the points table with eight points. Meanwhile, England’s convincing win not only secured their spot in the Champions Trophy but also showcased their prowess in the ongoing tournament.

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