In the first one-day international (ODI) of a five-match series at the Pindi Cricket Ground in Rawalpindi, Pakistan secured a convincing five-wicket victory over New Zealand on Thursday.
Team Pakistan did a great job with some brilliant performances and even a world record by Naseem Shah. Fakhar Zaman was the star of the match.
Fakhar Zaman scored his ninth ODI hundred, helping Pakistan chase down 289 runs in 48.3 overs. Imam-ul-haq scored a half century. Fakhar’s partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, who scored 60, laid the foundation for Pakistan’s victory. Babar Azam, the skipper, got out on 49, but Fakhar did not let his guard down and gave his impressive form to score the highest 117 runs for Pakistan.
Mohammad Rizwan scored 42 not-out to seal the win for Pakistan. For New Zealand, Adam Milne took two wickets. Blair Tickner, Ish Sodhi, and Rachin Ravindra, on the other hand, shared one wicket each.
In their innings, New Zealand posted a challenging total of 288-7 in 50 overs. Credit goes to Daryl Mitchell’s solid performance alongside Will Young. After losing their opener Chad Bowes early, New Zealand were 48-1, but the 102-run partnership between Mitchell and Young put Pakistani bowlers under pressure.
However, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan pulled off a decent performance with the ball. Pakistan held New Zealand back to a score of 288 runs. Despite New Zealand’s strong start, Pakistan’s impressive batting display, led by Fakhar, saw them secure a comfortable victory in the series opener.
