|| CF Correspondent ||

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Khan won the toss and chose to bat first in his side’s crucial game against Bangladesh on Friday at cricket’s hallowed ground Lord’s.

Pakistan would have to beat Bangladesh by at least 311-run margin to confirm a place in semifinal, ousting New Zealand, who currently are much ahead of them by net-run-rate. If Pakistan would have bowled first in this match, they would be eliminated from the race even before the balls are being bowled.

However while Pakistan has an improbable equation, Bangladesh has no such headache after their semifinal hope was ended following a 28-run defeat to India. Bangladesh is playing to register their fourth victory, which will help them to mark the tournament as most successful in their history. Bangladesh never won more than three matches in a single edition of World Cup.

The Tigers brought up two changes to the squad with fit again Mahmudullah Riyad and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz returned to the fold, replacing Sabbir Rahman and Rubel Hossain.

Pakistan fielded an unchanged squad.

Since their landmark 62-run victory in 1999 Cricket World Cup, that brought up a watershed moment in country’s cricket and thereby changed the cricketing landscape here, Bangladesh is playing their first game in a World Cup against Pakistan.

It might sound surprising that two nations never met in a World Cup event since the 1999 but such was the system that they were never drawn in same group. Only the round robin league system this time gives them an opportunity to meet again.

Bangladesh won last four matches in five games against Pakistan, including their historical 3-0 whitewash on the sub-continent rivals at home den in 2015. The latest win came in the Asia Cup last year.

But before turning the things around in 2015, the battle was one-sided. Since 1986 to 2014, Pakistan won 31 matches and lost just one against Bangladesh that came in the 1999 World Cup.

Before winning their first match in the 2015 bilateral series with which they kick-started their mission to whitewash Pakistan, Bangladesh lost 25 matches in a row, a record losing-streak for a Test nation against a particular country.

But when Bangladesh broke the curse, they were never beaten by the Pakistan.

Overall the two teams have faced off against each other in 36 matches since 1986 to 2018, of which Pakistan have won 31 and lost only 5.

Bangladesh though lost four matches in this World Cup so far, they didn’t loss without fighting apart from the match against England, in which they were thumped by 106 runs.