New Zealand emerged victorious against Pakistan with a decisive 60-run win in their Group A match at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. This game marked the opening of the Champions Trophy. Batting first, New Zealand posted an impressive score of 320-5 in their allotted 50 overs, setting a daunting target for the home side. Will Young and Tom Latham were instrumental in New Zealand's commanding performance, scoring 107 and an unbeaten 118 respectively.
The match began with New Zealand being put into bat by Pakistan. Despite the early challenge, New Zealand's openers laid a solid foundation. Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, praised the opening partnership between Young and Latham, acknowledging it as crucial to their team's success.
“The way Young and Latham rotated the strike and got the odd boundary really set us up,” – Mitchell Santner
Adding to the batting attack, Glenn Phillips contributed a quickfire 61, ensuring New Zealand's total was both competitive and commanding. Pakistan faced a formidable challenge as they took to the crease, eventually being bowled out for 260 in 47.2 overs. Despite half-centuries from Babar Azam and Khushdil Shah, with Shah scoring an impressive 69 off 49 balls, Pakistan fell short of the target.
The first ten overs proved pivotal for New Zealand, whose bowlers performed exceptionally to restrict Pakistan's scoring opportunities. The absence of New Zealand's opening batter until two wickets had fallen did not hinder their robust start.
Pakistan had not anticipated such a high total from New Zealand. This was reflected in the post-match comments from Mohammad Rizwan.
“We didn’t expect they would get 320. We thought around 260 when we took early wickets.” – Mohammad Rizwan
This defeat marks Pakistan's third consecutive loss on home soil against New Zealand in one-day internationals. As they regroup, Pakistan will shift focus to their upcoming group match against arch-rivals India on Sunday, aiming to turn their fortunes around.
