Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after 33 World Cup 2023 games.
England cemented their position by finishing day two on 202-5 riding fifties by Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.
Sri Lanka opener Kusal Perera blasted the second fastest one-day fifty in their series-levelling two-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second ODI at Pallekele on Wednesday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of World Cup 2023 after the first 12 games.
Fawad Alam put Pakistan in control of the first Test against South Africa, chalking up a superb century to lead the home side to 308 for eight by the close of day two in Karachi for a first innings lead of 88 runs.
The pitch offered some variable bounce but did not pose too many problems for the batters till the final hour of play.
Stokes brought his first half-century in T20I cricket with a four in 47 balls while levelling the scores. He (unbeaten at 52* off 49 balls) then brought up the winning runs, with Liam Livingstone at 1* and England finished the innings at 138/5 in 19 overs.
"Sure, it (India-Pakistan final) will (happen). Now that Pakistan has qualified for the final, India will be at their best," Mithali said on the Star Sports show 'Cricket Live'.
'I was confident pre-tournament itself that he would deliver when needed.'
Experienced Pakistan players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami received surprise call-ups to the national side for the two T20 matches against the touring Zimbabwe team after spending close to three years in the wilderness.
The Indian under-23 team lifted the ACC Emerging Trophy tournament as they thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by nine wickets in the final with opener Lokesh Rahul (93) being the star of a lop-sided chase.
With scores of 4,9,9 in his previous three matches, Rahul was under pressure to justify his selection and the opener responded by clubbing four sixes en route to a 31-ball fifty as India reached 86-2 at the halfway stage.
Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.
It will be quite a role reversal with Australia being the proverbial underdogs in Thursday's semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup against a red-hot Pakistan who have displayed rare consistency to set alight the tournament.
Pakistan play a three-match Test series against England starting on August 5, followed by three T20 International matches.
Pakistan will join India, England and New Zealand in the semi-finals
Pakistan ended their tour of Sri Lanka with a dramatic one-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 on Saturday to complete a 2-0 series win, having also triumphed in the Test and ODI encounters.
Sri Lanka ended the day at the score of 64/3, still trailing the hosts by 127 runs.
Babar Azam (104) hit his second Test century and Mohammad Rizwan 95 to stall Australia's march to victory and once they had departed, Pakistan were soon all out for 335.
New Zealand pacers Tim Southee and Neil Wagner wrecked havoc to leave Pakistan reeling at the end of Day Two of the second Test here at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday. Both Southee and Wagner ripped through Pakistan's batting line-up to leave the visitors in tatters at 76 for 5 at stumps, still 195 runs short of hosts' first innings total of 271.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the World Cup match against Bangladesh?
Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik shared a fluent partnership of 163 to lead the tourists to a consolation four-wicket win over England in the fifth and final one-day international in Cardiff on Sunday.
Amir, Imad recalled to Pakistan squad for NZ T20I series
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup Final played between Pakistan and England in Melbourne on Sunday.
Having won their first trophy in 2002 under Mohammad Kaif, Indian teams have have since gone on to win the U-19 World Cup in 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022.
Bangladesh trail by 224 runs and still needed 25 runs to avoid the follow-on at the end of Day 4.
England underlined their domination in white ball cricket as they outclassed Pakistan by five wickets to win the T20 World Cup title on Sunday.
KL Rahul retained his third position, while India captain Virat Kohli improved a rung to the seventh spot in the ICC men's T20I Batting Rankings.
Pakistan head coach and outgoing chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has tried to justify the axing of senior players Asad Shafiq, Muhammad Aamir and Shoaib Malik for the tour of New Zealand.
'Every team that's part of the tournament has worked its way up, has done something good and that's the reason they are here, and we take it like that.'
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the World Cup match against Pakistan?
Many fans had Pakistani flags waving from the windows of their cars.
For South Africa, Rassie van der Dussen has advanced three slots to the sixth position, just one shy of his career-best, after scores of 34 not out and 52.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah marks his return to the national men's team as Pakistan on Wednesday announced an 18-member squad for next month's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after 37 World Cup 2023 games.
Pakistan spinners Yasir Shah and Nauman Ali took five wickets between them to restrict South Africa to 220 all out, but the home side faltered in reply to close on 33 for four on day one of a fast-moving first Test in Karachi on Tuesday.
'He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him'
Latif said India have superior spinners and based on current form, Rohit Sharma's men are favourites for a win on Sunday.
Stokes is also among the Test Cricket of the Year nominees alongside compatriot Jonny Bairstow, Australia opener Usman Khawaja and South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada.
Pakistan will have 'revenge' on their mind for a recent off-field snub when they take on New Zealand in the T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Tuesday.
