Pakistan vs New Zealand – 3rd ODI Summary and Analysis

Match Basics

Scorecard Summary

• It was an abysmal batting effort by the Pakistani batting lineup. The performance was shockingly poor and, at times, amateurish. The failure to play simple defensive strokes and rotation of strike was immensely worrying. The abject display could have been a historic humiliation and resulted in the lowest ODI score ever had the tail end players not chipped in with a few runs.
• The pitch was on the slower side and the conditions seemed unfavorable for fast bowlers. This seemed likely to favor Pakistan before the start of the match as the guest team’s batsmen have struggled against the new ball while Pakistan have been better with the older one. Alas, The New Zealand quick bowlers were brilliant again and used clever bowling to dismiss the off color Green Team.
• The newer talent is having a tough first tour but has performed more admirably then their seniors. Shadab, Hasan and Rumman have all taken wickets and showed responsibility when sent out to bat in difficult conditions. One hopes these tough lessons are learnt well for the future.
• Pakistan were, again, so sloppy in the field while bowling. Sarfaraz Ahmed needs to make sure he and his boys are completely switched on during fielding. They have shown in previous series that they can field well. It is simply a matter of concentration and game awareness.
• New Zealand have been magnificent in this series. After Boult and Southee’s spell, the change-up bowlers backed them up, their foot never leaving Pakistan’s throat. There was excellent fielding to run out Babar Azam. Before all that, a 73 run innings by Kane Williamson laid the foundation for a series clinching victory.

Teams

Pakistan

New Zealand