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New Zealand got off to the perfect start in the Champions Trophy 2025. A clinical all-round effort with both bat and ball helped them beat a clueless Pakistan side by 60 runs.
An ICC event returned to Pakistan soil for the first time in nearly three decades. But the hosts disappointed massively with lacklustre performances across all three facets of the game. They were inconsistent with the ball and in the field before they put out a shoddy batting effort.
The day started with Pakistan winning the toss and sending New Zealand into bat on a dryish-looking pitch in Karachi. It was largely keeping the dew in mind.
New Zealand had a steady start with Will Young looking in solid touch. There were a few mis times but with the outfield very quick, the ball raced away to the boundary on a couple of occasions. Young and Devon Conway added 39 runs in the first seven overs before Abrar Ahmed got the first wicket for Pakistan.
The mystery spinner beat Conway’s outside edge and knocked him over. Naseem Shah bowled a ripper to send back New Zealand’s talisman Kane Williamson who was caught behind. Daryl Mitchell just couldn’t get going and struggled to find any sort of rhythm. He was eventually dismissed by the returning Haris Rauf who forced the Blackcaps No. 4 to mistime a pull straight to mid-on.
That wicket reduced New Zealand to 73/3 as Pakistan were well on top. While wickets fell at the other end, Young kept the scoreboard ticking and got to his half-century just after Mitchell’s dismissal.
Tom Latham joined Young in the middle and the duo put on a magnificent 118-run stand. Both batters got boundaries regularly and rotated strike beautifully. As the partnership grew, they upped the scoring rate as well. In the process, Young notched up his 4th ODI hundred while Latham helped himself to a fluent fifty.
It was Naseem who eventually got Pakistan the much-needed breakthrough as Young holed out to deep square leg. The fourth wicket stand was finally broken but the Young-Latham duo set up the platform for a big flourish.
Glenn Phillips who has been in great form started off slowly. He was 10 off 18 balls before he smashed his first six of the game which was in the 43rd over of the innings. At the other end, Latham got stuck into Abrar in the latter’s final over, hitting him for a six and two fours to give the Kiwis some crucial momentum heading into the final overs.
Phillips then opened his shoulders and started smashing the Pakistan pacers all over the National Stadium in Karachi. At the other end, Latham raised his 8th ODI hundred as he upped his strike-rate as well.
New Zealand plundered 105 runs in the last eight overs as Phillips finished with 61 off 39 balls (three fours and four sixes) while Latham remained unbeaten on 118 off 104. The pair added 125 runs in just 12.2 overs to help New Zealand reach 320 in their 50 overs.
Pakistan never got going in the chase
With dew expected to play a part, 321 looked gettable. It was a stiff ask but Pakistan had chased down 353 in the recent tri-series against South Africa at the same venue. But it wasn’t to be.
Fakhar Zaman who had injured himself in the very first over of the match while fielding could not open the batting as he was off the field for most part of New Zealand’s innings. Saud Shakeel walked out alongside Babar Azam.
The New Zealand new ball pair of Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke bowled excellently. They attacked the stumps and barely offered any loose deliveries. That tied the Pakistan batters down but they lacked intent as well.
Shakeel was dismissed in the 4th over as he tried to hoick one and ended up top-edging to third-man. O’Rourke was the one who got the wicket. Babar and skipper Mohammad Rizwan just couldn’t break free. There were barely any attacking shots in the first 10 overs before Rizwan fell to an absolute blinder of a catch from Phillips at backward point.
Pakistan reached 22/2 at the end of the powerplay with Babar batting on 12 off 27 balls while Rizwan made 3 off 14 balls before he was dismissed. The injured Fakhar Zaman walked out at No. 4 and struggled to run between the wickets. That impacted Babar as well who couldn’t really catch up with the asking rate either and was going nowhere with his approach of looking for ones and twos.
The hosts made 44 runs without losing any wickets in overs 10 to 20 but the required run rate kept climbing up. It eventually led to the dismissal of Zaman who was knocked over by Michael Bracewell. It was only Salman Ali Agha who came out with some sort of an intent and upped the scoring rate.
He went after the spinners and hit boundaries regularly. Meanwhile, Babar also found the fence a few times and was able to rotate strike better. The former Pakistan skipper got to his 35th ODI half-century but it came off 81 deliveries.
Agha’s blitz forced New Zealand to turn back to pace in the form of Nathan Smith who was introduced for the first time in the 31st over. The change worked immediately as Agha top-edged one to mid-wicket. Tayyab Tahir didn’t last long either as Mitchell Santner had his first of the night.
Babar Azam tried to up the ante with a six and a four but Santner got the better of him as well. Pakistan were reduced to 153/6. Khushdil Shah strode out and struck a fluent half-century but the task was too tall for him. He made 69 off 49 balls but the match was well away from Pakistan’s grasp by then.
They were eventually bowled out for 260 in the 48th over, losing by 60 runs. New Zealand made it three wins from as many games against Pakistan in Pakistan in less than two weeks.
BRIEF SCORES: New Zealand 320/5 (Tom Latham 118*, Will Young 107, Glenn Phillips 61, Naseem Shah 2/63, Haris Rauf 2/83) beat Pakistan 260 all out (Khushdil Shah 69, Babar Azam 64, Salman Agha 42, Will O’Rourke 3/47, Mitchell Santner 3/66, Matt Henry 2/25) by 60 runs.
