Babar Azam and his Pakistan side are in a do-or-die situation in the ODI World Cup 2023. South Africa and Pakistan will clash on Friday in the 26th game of the marquee tournament. The MA Chidambaram Stadium is set to host its final game of the tournament.
Pakistan began the tournament with wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, their form has dropped off after that, which has seen them lose to India, Australia, and Afghanistan. It was at this very venue that Afghanistan chased down the 282-run score set by Pakistan with 8 wickets in hand.
The South Africans have no such worry as they have won four games out of the five played. It is to be seen if Temba Bavuma is fit to play the game but in his absence, Aiden Markram has done a stellar job. The Proteas enjoy the best run rate in the tournament which reads +2.37. If they win on Friday, South Africa will head the table for the first time this tournament.
Day of reckoning for Pakistan Cricket –
Babar Azam will walk into Chennai on Friday knowing both his captaincy and his nation’s chances are on the line. If Pakistan loses to South Africa they can kiss their hopes of reaching the semi-finals goodbye.
Chennai Weather (Source-Twitter)
Chennai is expected to be hot and humid but not as hot as the previous encounters. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 31-32 degrees, while the minimum should hover around 25-27 degrees.
The ODI World Cup 2023 tournament has seen four games played at this venue so far. The first two games saw India and New Zealand win the games while chasing. The Kiwis bucked the trend by beating Afghanistan after batting first. The Afghan’s win over Pakistan in the last game came while chasing.
There is no doubt that the Captain winning the toss will want to bowl first. The pitch has gone a bit slower when the teams have batted first. While chasing the playing surface tends to play a lot better. The outfield in Chennai has always been electric and the batters will get value for their shots.
With the new ball, there could be a bit of help in the early part of the game. Once the ball gets old there could be a lot in for the spin bowlers. One can expect Mohammed Nawaz to be part of the team if he is deemed fit. Haris Rauf or Hasan Ali could make way for Mohammed Wasim JR.
