KARACHI : Jan 9,2023: Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 6 wickets in the first one-day match of the series thanks to the responsible performance of the batsmen after Naseem Shah’s brilliant bowling and took a 0-1 lead.
Batting first, New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 256 runs to win.
In the first match of the series played in Karachi, Pakistan won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat first.
Pakistan’s Naseem Shah proved his captain’s decision right by dismissing Devon Conway for a wicket in the first over.
On the second wicket, opener Finn Allen and captain Kane Williamson took the score to 37 runs, but Mohammad Wasim ended Allen’s innings of 29 runs.
Pakistan debutant Usama Mir sent Kiwi captain Kane Willisman to the pavilion for 69 and handed the visitors their third loss.
Daryl Mitchell formed a good partnership for the fourth wicket with Tom Latham and took the team out with some difficulty but Mohammad Nawaz dismissed them for a total of 125.
Mitchell scored 36 runs off 55 balls with just one four.
Tom Latham scored 42 runs and became Osama Mir’s second wicket, New Zealand’s score was 147 runs and after 5 wickets fell, the team was under severe pressure.
After the Kiwi top order failed, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell also tried their best to take the team to a reasonable target and the partnership took the score to 213 runs.
Glenn Phillips was the sixth New Zealand batsman to be dismissed for 37 runs, caught by Naseem Shah off skipper Babar Azam.
Michael Bracewell scored the highest 43 runs for New Zealand in the match, but Naseem Shah scattered his wickets at a score of 220.
After Naseem Shah dismissed Bracewell on the fourth ball of the 46 over, he also dismissed Henry Shipley on the very next ball.
Mitchell Santner played an important role in the last overs by scoring 21 runs off 18 balls with the help of 3 fours to bring the team’s score to 255 runs, but Naseem Shah completed his 5 wickets by making him caught by Mohammad Nawaz.
New Zealand scored 255 runs for 9 wickets in the allotted 50 overs.
Tim Southee 15 and Lockie Ferguson scored a run not out.
Naseem Shah took 5 wickets while performing brilliant bowling, Osama Mir took 2 wickets, Muhammad Wasim and Muhammad Nawaz took one wicket each.
Chasing the target, Pakistan suffered their first loss for 30 runs when Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed for 11 runs.
Fakhr Zaman completed his half-century in a perfect comeback after injury.