Pakistan broke their 12-match losing streak against New Zealand in ODI cricket as they beat Kane Williamson‘s men by six-wickets to secure a comprehensive win in the second match of the series in Abu Dhabi.
Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first with the visitors being restricted to 209-9 in their 50 overs by the men in green. In reply, Sarfraz Ahmed‘s men notched up the target with almost 10 overs to spare as they stormed back to tie the three-match series at 1-1.
At the end of a crushing win for Pakistan, we look at the key talking points from Abu Dhabi.
AFRIDI AND SPINNERS STRANGLE KIWIS
New Zealand’s innings never quite got going. The Blackcaps were put on the back foot from the second over itself with Shaheen Afridi getting the big wicket of Colin Munro. The Pakistan teenager then delivered another crucial blow, this time with the tip of his fingers to run-out Williamson at the non-striker’s end off his own bowling.
When he shattered the stumps of Tom Latham with a searing yorker, Afridi had reduced the Kiwis to 73-4. From then on, Pakistan’s spinners in Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hafeez and Imad Wasim took control and the rate of scoring slowed down drastically.
Bereft of any momentum, New Zealand continued to stutter by losing wickets at crucial intervals before Afridi came back at the death to pick up one more wicket in the form of Ish Sodhi.
It was the second four-wicket haul on the bounce for the young left-armed pacer and it ensured that the Kiwis only just crept past the 200-run mark.
Another impressive display from the young pacer.
ROSS TAYLOR WAGES LONE BATTLE
While New Zealand kept losing wickets at the other end, one man ensured that they did not fade away completely under the pressure induced by Pakistan’s bowlers. That man was Ross Taylor who made full use of his experience to keep one end up for the Blackcaps with an innings filled with grit and doggedness.
It was not the prettiest knock by any means from the right-hander neither was it one of complete control. Scratchy as it might have been, Taylor’s defiant innings on a slow Abu Dhabi track helped the tourists post a challenging total.
Though he kept losing partners at the other end, Taylor continued to march on with determination and remained unbeaten on 86. A major problem for the Blackcaps was that the well-set batsman was denied strike for a large part of the final 10 overs. Taylor faced only 22 deliveries out of the final 60 and that proved to be the difference ultimately as New Zealand fell at least 30 runs shy of a par total at Abu Dhabi.
A battling innings from Ross Taylor.
IMAM-UL-HAQ INJURY MARS COMFORTABLE CHASE FOR PAKISTAN
New Zealand’s inability to lift off with the bat in the death overs came back to bite them hard with Pakistan’s batsmen coasting towards the 210-run target. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq put on a half-century stand for the opening wicket before the latter was struck on the grill by a vicious bouncer from Lockie Ferguson.
The left-hander had to ultimately retire hurt after showing signs of concussion and was rushed to the hospital for further scans. Imam’s injury was the only sour note in Pakistan’s chase with Fakhar and Babar Azam setting up a comfortable win with a century stand between them while the latter narrowly missed out on his maiden ODI ton in Asia. Both batsmen fell to Ferguson in quick succession with Shoaib Malik falling prey to the New Zealander’s express pace as well.
Ferguson’s three-wicket burst was the only bright spark in his side’s bowling just like Taylor’s innings had been in the batting department. It was not enough to stop the Pakistan juggernaut in the end as Sarfraz Ahmed’s men cantered towards the 210-run target.
A canter of a chase for Pakistan’s batsmen.
