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New Zealand's easy win over Sri Lanka has almost rendered the Pakistan vs England clash redundant. The India vs New Zealand semi-final at Wankhede Stadium on November 15 is all but confirmed whereas Pakistan and Afghanistan are almost out of the race to the last four. A mere coin toss on November 11 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata can end Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Here’s how the equation looks
If England captain Jos Buttler wins the toss and opts to bat first, Pakistan will need to chase down the target in just 16 balls which looks near-impossible even if they bowl out England for less than 100.
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If Babar Azam wins the toss and opts to bat first, they will need to beat the champions of World Cup 2019 by 287 or more runs. Even this equation looks most difficult for the Pakistan side.
However, there have been two instances of teams winning by more than 300 runs in the ongoing World Cup. First, five-time champions Australia beat the Netherlands by 309 runs in Delhi last month. Earlier this month, India beat Sri Lanka by 302 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2.
The highest total posted by a team at Eden Gardens belongs to India when they posted 404/5 against Sri Lanka in 2014. On the other hand, the lowest total of 83 at the venue was registered by South Africa against India earlier in this tournament to lose by 243 runs.
Not a dead rubber for England
On the other hand, it will be a big game for England. A win against Pakistan will seal their place in the Champions Trophy 2025. After beating the Netherlands by 160 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune, England climbed the seventh spot on the points table.
Even if they lose to Pakistan, they need to ensure that they don't lose by a big margin as they are likely to qualify on the basis of net run rate (NRR).
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