Resilient Pakistan look to bounce back
After a commanding 161-run victory by the DLS method over Pakistan in Wellington, New Zealand are all set to impose themselves further on Pakistan in the second One-Day International in Nelson on Tuesday (January 9). The loss in the first ODI was Pakistan’s first in the format since the Champions Trophy, and it brought to an end a nine-match winning streak.
However, it wasn’t so much the loss as but the manner it came about that was striking. New Zealand posted 315/7 after put in, with Kane Willamson (116) scoring a superfluous century, backed up by half-centuries from Colin Munro (58) and Henry Nicholls (50). Pakistan, however, were precariously placed within five deliveries after Tim Southee sent the openers back in three balls. They had limped to 166/6, well behind the DLS Method par score, when rain intervened in the 31st over.
The Pakistan batsmen found the duo of Southee and Trent Boult hard to handle – together they accounted for four of the six wickets to fall. But in Fakhar Zaman, they have a batsman who displayed good temperament to ride the wave and score an 86-ball 82, a knock that included five fours and four sixes. Southee and Boult are hard to handle, even at the best of times, but Zaman’s knock would have made for a fine template for the rest of his team to follow.
All of Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz Ahmed, the captain, struggled to knuckle down and stitch partnerships together in the first ODI – it is the best way to counter the new-ball zing of Southee and Boult.
As far as Pakistan’s bowling is concerned, their primary discussion would probably revolve around Munro, Williamson and Martin Guptill. New Zealand added 156 runs in just under 27 overs for the first two wickets in Wellington, laying the platform for the lower order to build on – 87 runs were scored in the final 10 overs as New Zealand pushed their total past the 300-mark. It is an area that Pakistan will need to make note of, not just to for their bowlers’ benefit but also for their batsmen.
Hasan Ali, the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler, returned 3 for 61 in Wellington, and will hope to be given the new ball. In the first ODI, Mohammad Amir and Rumman Raees opened the bowling, but the latter proved expensive.
Based on recent form, New Zealand look to be the favourites to win the game, but you don’t win nine ODIs on the trot without a resilient core. Pakistan will count on that.
**Teams (from): New Zealand:**Kane Williamson (cap), Todd Astle, George Worker, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (cap), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.
