Hosts Pakistan will square off against New Zealand on Saturday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium after the first match of the ODI series went in favor of Babar Azam’s men.
Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq played brilliant innings against the Blackcaps in the series opener while Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were also highly impressive.
For the Kiwis, Daryl Mitchell caught all the eyes with his century. Will Young came to the support of the 31-year-old but lacked involvement from fellow teammates at almost every point of the innings.
What have they done so far?
Before hoping for the ODI series, Pakistan and New Zealand played a 5-match T20I series. The first match of the series was played at the Gaddafi Stadium where Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat first. Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub’s collective effort helped Pakistan give the Blackcaps a target of 183 in the series opener.
However, it seemed like Tom Latham’s side was unprepared for Green Shirts’ bowling line-up. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Zaman Khan beheaded Blackcaps’s top order in the initial overs. Moreover, all the remaining work was completed by Haris Rauf as he took four wickets conceding only 18 runs in his spell. Hence, they won the match by a whopping 88 runs.
In the second match, Mohammad Rizwan along with Babar Azam gave their side an amazing start. Green Shirts’ skipper played a brilliant 101-run inning in just 58 balls. To complete his century, Azam smashed three sixes and 11 fours as his side set up a target of 192.
New Zealand’s batting line-up again came up short against Pakistan’s bowling. Only Mark Chapman managed to cross the 50-run mark. As a result, they recorded their second consecutive loss in the series by 38 runs.
The third match was a must-win for New Zealand. Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell’s combined effort made sure the Blackcaps reach 163 in the end. During bowling, New Zealand dismissed the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for cheap bucks.
Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf gave Pakistan the much-required hope with their 61-run partnership, however, that wasn’t enough as Azam’s men recorded their first loss of the series by four runs.
Chad Bowes’ innings of 54 runs off 38 deliveries and Mark Chapman’s knock of 71 runs off 42 balls helped the Blackcaps reach 164 runs in 18.5 overs but the match resulted in no contest as rain intervened in between.
The last match of the T20I series took place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as Mohammad Rizwan led Pakistan with his heroic 98-run inning in just 62 deliveries. Chasing 194 runs, Tom Latham’s side was standing 26/3 after just four overs.
However, they didn’t lose hope as Mark Chapman scored 104 runs off just 57 deliveries and decided the fate of the match single-handedly. After winning the match, the series between Pakistan and New Zealand eventually ended in a 2-2 draw.
In the first match of the ODI series, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell’s innings were a good sign for Latham’s side. Mitchell scored 113 off 115 deliveries while Young supported him with 86 runs off 78 balls. With the two graceful innings, the Blackcaps posted a target of 289 to chase for Pakistan.
The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq gave Pakistan a winning start. Zaman outclassed Mitchell’s effort with his century while the likes of Imam, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan shined with the bat as the hosts commenced the ODI series with a win.
Head to Head Record
In the last six ODI fixtures between Pakistan and New Zealand (not including their first meeting in this series), the Blackcaps have been on the winning side five times while the Green Attire has managed to triumph only once.
Their last ODI meeting took place in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 match 33 where New Zealand gave Pakistan a target of 238, which was easily chased down by the Green Shirts.
Overall, the teams have played a total of 110 One-day International matches. The Blackcaps have won the battle 50 times while Pakistan has emerged as the winner for a total of 56 times. On three occasions, the match has resulted in no contest while the sides have played a solitary draw.
Key Players
Babar Azam (Pakistan): Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam has been the lynchpin of the side over the past few years. If Azam scores, the win is almost confirmed for the Green Shirts.
He turned out to be a valuable asset for Grant Bradburn’s team in the T20I series especially in the 2nd match where the captain scored a brilliant century. Hence, Babar Azam’s wicket will be the most valuable for Blackcaps bowlers.
Mark Chapman has been the lone warrior for New Zealand
Mark Chapman (New Zealand): Blackcaps middle-order batsman, Mark Chapman emerged as their hero in the T20I series. The former Hong Kong batsman has been exceptional in almost all the games for Gary Stead’s men.
With two half-centuries and a century, Chapman was crowned the Player of the Series. New Zealand’s batting line-up has been highly unstable, hence, the 28-year-old’s wicket will be crucial in the hunt for Pakistan’s bowlers. Although he failed to find the rhyme in the 1st match of the series, he still knows how to frustrate the bowlers of Pakistan.
Predicted XIs
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam ©, Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Sohail, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
New Zealand: Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham © (wk), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne
Prediction
The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in a draw but it was enough to give an idea about the possible outcomes of the forthcoming series as New Zealand seemed dull in batting as well as bowling. Rightly so, the first match of the ODI series was triumphed over by Babar Azam’s men.
New Zealand’s batting seemed to have improved, however, their bowling is still a matter of concern and might come under the microscope against a settled batting order in familiar conditions.
