New Zealand and Pakistan will face each other in the second ODI of the ongoing series on 2nd March at Seddon Park.
Match Preview:
It was yet another if and but situation for Pakistan when they faced New Zealand in the 1st ODI of the series. At one point, it was expected that Pakistan could win this game but then a collapse happened. Both Babar Azam and Salman Ali Agha were playing well and at one point Pakistan was 294-4 in chase of 344.
It was the case with bowling as well and it was weird to see how Pakistan chose 4 bowlers with no proper 5th bowling option as they dropped Khushdil Shah as well and as a result Irfan Khan bowled, who has never bowled in his first-class career ever.
New Zealand claw back beautifully after losing their top-order early. It was Mark Chapman who scored 132 and later it was debutant Muhammad Abbas who scored a quick-fire maiden fifty off just 26. And later it was Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke who bowled out Pakistan to a total of 271.
Talking about the upcoming ODI, apart from winning, Pakistan will also look forward to replacing Usman Khan who got injured during the 1st ODI of the series. The wicket-keeper batter built a good partnership with Abdullah Shafique as he scored 39 off 33.
Moreover, Babar Azam showed signs of comeback in the 1st ODI of the series, although he failed to win the game for Pakistanas both Tayyab Tahir and Irfan could not stitch a partnership with Babar after Agha got out on 58.
All eyes will be on Naseem Shah as well whose form and performance has been questionable since the start of this year. In the latest game, he also dropped Abbas’ catch as he went on to score 52.
New Zealand will not have much to worry about as they sit in a comfortable position with no much concern to answer. Even the main players are not there but the backup players are performing on fleek.
Probable Playing XI:
New Zealand – Will Young, Nick Kelly, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Michael Bracewell (C), Mitchell Hay (WK), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke.
Pakistan – Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C & WK), Agha Salman Ali, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali.
Pitch and weather report:
Seddon Park is well known for its batting-friendly surface, which generously rewards aggressive stroke play with real bounce and quick outfield boundaries. As the surface starts to degrade over the day, spinners can gather momentum.
Teams have historically favored chasing the ground due to its historical pattern, so the toss could be a deciding element in the match’s outcome.
Head-to-head record:
New Zealand and Pakistan have a long-standing ODI rivalry, having faced each other 119 times. Historically, Pakistan holds a slender edge, with 61 wins to New Zealand’s 55. Three matches ended in no result, while one was tied.
Prediction:
New Zealand are favourite to win this game.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, Ten Sports,
New Zealand: TVNZ+
India: SonyLiv app and website
Others: CricHD
