New Zealand crushed Pakistan by an emphatic 84-run margin in the final One Day International (ODI) outing. Extending their series lead to 3 to 0 with this victory, they achieved that in a historically dominant way. Heat top order Mitchell Hay was outstanding, providing scorching 99 not out performance. On the other hand, Sears made a mark on the bowling end, claiming five wickets and forming a key role in the hosts’ emphatic victory.
The final kicked off with New Zealand on the back foot. Michael Bracewell was dismissed via the catch behind off Wasim after mustering just 17 runs. In spite of this loss, Bracewell established an important partnership with Muhammad Abbas, scoring an additional 30 runs off the next 10 overs. The Pakistani bowlers, especially Wasim and Rauf, did an excellent job of slowing the runs down, putting New Zealand on the back foot.
Key Partnerships and Contributions
Then Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell stepped up and absorbed the pressure. On one of the few sunny days, they scored their 100 runs in 16 overs. Their activism and organizing were critical in keeping the momentum alive as they worked through an incredibly tough time. Duffy quickly became a consistent nuisance, taking the wicket of Imam-ul-Haq shortly after, continuing to bust Pakistan’s optimism.
In his second international match, Kelly scored a high-impact 31 runs before being caught behind. The arrival of spin bowling finally brought Daryl Mitchell’s innings to a sudden stop, with the former New Zealand all-rounder scoring only 18 runs. Hay’s muscular batting was the catalyst New Zealand needed to recover from a mid-innings collapse. He displayed his knack for the dramatic by scoring in bunches and making that scoreboard tick with amazing speed.
Stellar Performances from Pakistan’s Batting Line-Up
Pakistan’s reply was illuminated by Ashraf’s brilliant knock as he made 73 runs off 80 balls. Naseem added an important 51 runs off 44 balls. Both batsmen shaped valiantly to run down the target but in the end were left with too much to do. Bless their hearts, they tried. They were not quite able to repair the damage of those initial wickets or the growing pressure exerted by New Zealand’s bowlers.
Mariu smashed a quick run-a-ball 18 before being dismissed. An edged catch from Suryakumar brought the ball into Azam’s hands, creating a mid-off. Pakistan never played a shot with soft hands. New Zealand’s fiery seam attack posed major problems for Pakistan’s batters. Those struggles were exacerbated by key wickets at critical junctures throughout the tournament.
