HAMILTON:In a decisive second ODI match held at Hamilton, New Zealand triumphed over Pakistan, successfully clinching the series with a commanding victory. After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bowl first, but they struggled to contain New Zealand’s batting lineup.
New Zealand’s Batting Performance
New Zealand posted a challenging total of 292 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 50 overs. The standout performer was Mitchell Hey, who delivered a spectacular innings, scoring an unbeaten 99 runs off 78 balls, showcasing his explosive batting with 7 sixes and 7 fours.
The other notable contributions came from Mohammad Abbas, who hit 41 runs, and the top order, which included key scores from Nick Kelly (31), while Rachin Ravindra (18), Henry Nicholls (22), Darryl Mitchell (18), and captain Michael Bracewell (17) all fell short of making significant impacts.
From the Pakistan bowling unit, Mohammad Wasim and Sufiyan Muqeem each claimed 2 wickets, while Faheem Ashraf, Aakif Javed, and Haris Rauf took one wicket apiece.
Pakistan’s Struggles in the Chase
Pakistan’s response to the target got off to a disastrous start. The opening batsmen struggled against the New Zealand pace attack, and within 11.4 overs, half the team found themselves back in the pavilion for single-digit scores. Abdullah Shafique (1), Imam-ul-Haq (3), Babar Azam (1), captain Mohammad Rizwan (5), and Salman Agha (9) were all dismissed cheaply, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position.
However, Faheem Ashraf emerged as a beacon of hope for Pakistan, showing resilience in the middle order. He fought valiantly, compiling a score of 73 runs before becoming one of the wickets to fall, leaving Pakistan in further trouble at 174 runs for 9 wickets.
Following Faheem’s departure, the batting order continued to collapse, with Mohammad Wasim Jr. scoring just 1, Tayyab Tahir managing 13, and Aakif Javed scoring 8. In a surprising turn of events, Haris Rauf, after being struck by a bouncer, exited the field under concussion protocols, leading Naseem Shah to come in as a concussion substitute. Naseem made a commendable contribution, scoring 51 runs before his dismissal, while Sufiyan Muqeem remained not out on 13 runs.
Team Changes and Final Thoughts
In this match, Pakistan made several key changes to their squad, bringing in Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Sufiyan Muqeem, while leaving out Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Irfan Niaz, and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan’s Final Squad: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Aakif Javed.
New Zealand’s Final Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Darryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell (captain), Mohammad Abbas, Mitchell Hey, Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears, and Will Young.
With this victory, New Zealand not only secured the ODI series against Pakistan but also demonstrated their batting depth and bowling strength, putting them in a strong position heading into the remaining matches of the series.
