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Cricket

New Zealand avoids whitewash against Pakistan with a last match win and 4-1 series end

New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 47 runs in the fifth ODI at National Stadium in Karachi, with Henry Shipley and Rachin Ravindra both taking three wickets. Earlier, Will Young and Tom Latham both hit half-centuries as the visitors were bowled out for 299. Seeking a consolation win after falling behind 4-0, New Zealand’s innings was based around Young’s 91-ball 87 and Latham’s 58-ball 59 after the visitors won the toss and chose to bat. The Blackcaps avoided a complete sweep with a 4-1 victory over the Babar Azam-led team.

Iftikhar Ahmed made a compelling case for a spot in Pakistan’s starting XI. The muscular right-hander blazed an unbeaten 93 off 71 balls with eight fours and two sixes to push Pakistan close, but his colleagues at the other end except from Salman Ali Agha (57), who shared a 97-run innings with Iftikhar could not back him up enough. That was also due to a valiant effort by New Zealand’s bowlers, who have battled throughout the series, with pacer Henry Shipley leading the way with three wickets for 34 runs in nine overs.

After Pakistan opener Shan Masood was out early, Shipley made Babar his first victim, quieting the crowd that had been screaming the Pakistan skipper’s name since he stepped into bat with “100” emblazoned on the back of his shirt. Shipley trapped Mohammad Rizwan lbw, leaving Pakistan reeling at 52-3 at the conclusion of the 14th over, and ending Pakistan’s aspirations of winning their first 5-0 ODI series in five years. Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal to slow left-armer Rachin Ravindra (3-65) five overs later sent Pakistan further behind, but a consistent performance by Salman and Iftikhar brought the team beyond 100 in the 26th over.

Salman went on the offensive when the duo completed their 50-run partnership by the end of the 28th over, with a six off Ravindra and two fours off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Iftikhar joined the celebration with a boundary off bowler Matt Henry two balls before Salman reached his second half-century in a succession. But it was all over for the latter in the 35th over, when he became Shipley’s third victim.

Following Iftikhar’s fifty in 48 balls, Shadab Khan was the next to go. A couple lusty smashes from entering Usama Mir and Iftikhar himself didn’t assist much before tailender Haris Rauf was run-out at the non-striker end by Henry, despite TV replays not seeming definitive enough. Earlier, opener Will Young blasted 87 off 91 balls, smashing eight fours and two sixes in a display of outstanding control and shot selection to help New Zealand reach 299.

Although leg-spinner Shadab was Pakistan’s second-most expensive bowler, leaking 67 runs in 10 overs, his two wickets, that of Young and Mark Chapman, proved crucial in helping the hosts restrict New Zealand to an unachievable total when they appeared to be cruising towards a much higher total. After New Zealand skipper Tom Latham’s anchoring performance of 59 off 58 balls came to an end, Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-45) tore through the New Zealand tail, effectively ending the Black Caps’ chances of a consolation victory.

Young put on a 51-run stand with Henry Nicolls, who became Usama’s first prey before reaching his half-century in the 19th over and bringing up New Zealand’s century two overs later. Two of his boundaries and one of his sixes came as a consequence of the right-hander dancing down the ground to twist his bat off his pads to strike the midwicket boundary. Latham, who had fought hard to keep his side steady, came in after Chapman in Usama’s (2-53) 42nd over, but he and his team had done sufficient.

Babar Azam, Pakistan Captain stated: “The way we planned, we couldn’t finish it that way. However, the entire series was outstanding. We collapsed early on in the batting. We needed a partnership early on which couldn’t happen. We could have finished well after Salman Ali Agha got set, but then wickets started to fall from one end. In Karachi, we were surprised that there weren’t as good batting conditions as we expected while batting second but you have to perform no matter what the conditions are. I think we should have played better cricket. New Zealand bowled well tonight. Overall, the series was good, there were good performances and many positives. We were able to check our bench strength and we tried different combinations to get to know where our one-day team stands. We were having an issue with the middle order and were lacking there but we got some options now.”

Tom Latham, New Zealand Captain stated: “Certainly pleasing to put on a complete performance in the last game. Shipley bowled fantastically well with the new ball, he found the right lengths on this wicket. We probably got a par score and got wickets in the powerplay which we haven’t done in the series. I think if you look back at the T20 series, it was about trying to improve from game to game, we wanted to expose players to different roles and I think it was a great opportunity for all of them to experience these conditions”

Fakhar Zaman, Player of the Series explained: “Look, you are never satisfied in cricket but I am glad that we won the series and my contribution helped the side. As a team, we have found some answers to the missing links as you saw how Agha Salman and Iftikhar Ahmed played.”

New Zealand XI- Will Young, Tom Blundell (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (C), Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Benjamin Lister, Blair Tickner

Pakistan XI- Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, Agha Salman, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf

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