England Ends World Cup Campaign with a Dominant Win

In a triumphant display, England marked the end of their challenging World Cup campaign with a resounding 93-run victory over Pakistan in Kolkata. Ben Stokes and Joe Root led the way with stellar performances.

England concluded their tumultuous World Cup campaign on a high note with a commanding 93-run victory over Pakistan in Kolkata. Ben Stokes and Joe Root were the architects of this triumph, helping their team reach an impressive total of 337-9 in their 50 overs, while Pakistan's chase faltered, and they were bowled out for 244 in 43.3 overs.

This win provided a glimpse of England's potential, but it came at the tail end of a World Cup campaign marred by issues within the team and underwhelming performances. Fans had watched England's World Cup journey morph into a trainwreck, and the team had faced weeks of speculation about internal problems.

Ben Stokes, who had emerged from ODI retirement for the World Cup, played a pivotal role, scoring 84 runs. His partnership with Joe Root, who contributed 60 runs, laid a strong foundation for England's innings. 

Earlier in the innings, Jonny Bairstow (59) and Dawid Malan (31) had provided a solid start. Bairstow's impressive performance included seven boundaries and a six, marking his second fifty in the tournament.

After Malan miscued a reverse sweep off spinner Iftikhar Ahmed and Bairstow was caught in the covers off Rauf, Pakistan's best bowler with 3-64, it was Stokes who continued to dominate the bowlers. He was eventually dismissed by Shaheen Afridi after an impressive 132-run partnership with Root. His innings featured 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Root, on the other hand, added four boundaries to his third half-century of the World Cup before being caught off a leading edge against Shaheen Afridi, who finished with figures of 2-72. Harry Brook (30) and Jos Buttler (27) contributed valuable runs in the later stages of the innings, pushing England's score to 337-9.

In contrast, Pakistan's chase got off to a shaky start, with David Willey, who had announced his international retirement after the World Cup, making early breakthroughs. Willey removed Pakistan's openers, Abdullah Shafique (nought) and Fakhar Zaman (one), and later dismissed Agha Salman for 51, finishing with figures of 3-56. With Salman's wicket, Willey also reached a significant milestone, achieving 100 wickets in his 73rd ODI.

Fast bowler Gus Atkinson (2-45) added to Pakistan's woes by dismissing Babar Azam for 38, caught at short mid-wicket off a miscued pull. Spinners Moeen Ali (2-60) and Adil Rashid (2-55) took care of Pakistan's middle order, with Salman being the only batsman to resist, scoring a fighting 45-ball knock studded with six boundaries and a six. The lower-order batsmen, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, contributed with valuable runs, taking Pakistan past the 200-mark.

England's triumph was significant for a team that had been plagued by internal issues and underperformance. Despite the win, England's campaign had already come to a disappointing end as they failed to progress to the knockout stage of the World Cup. New Zealand secured a semi-final spot instead. England's journey, which began with high expectations, concluded on a high note, offering some solace amid a series of internal challenges and on-field struggles.

England wrapped up their tumultuous World Cup journey on a high note by defeating Pakistan by 93 runs in a thrilling clash. Ben Stokes and Joe Root were instrumental in England's impressive total of 337-9, while their bowlers sealed the victory by dismissing Pakistan for 244. The win provided some solace for England after a series of internal issues and underwhelming performances throughout the tournament.