Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam take a run as New Zealand’s James Neesham watches through the second one-day worldwide cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Rawalpindi on April 29, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP
Fakhar Zaman’s second successive century anchored Pakistan to one other comfortable seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second one-day worldwide on Saturday.
Fakhar adopted his 117 in the primary ODI with one other entertaining unbeaten 180 off 144 balls as Pakistan pulled off its second highest profitable run chase in ODIs.
Pakistan romped to 337-3 in 48.2 overs after New Zealand posted an imposing 336-5 on the again of Daryl Mitchell’s personal second straight hundred — a career-best 129 off 119 balls.
Fakhar made New Zealand pay a heavy worth for dropping him twice quickly after his half-century. He smacked 17 boundaries and 6 sixes in Pakistan’s chase to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match collection.
“It was my lucky day to score again against New Zealand,” Fakhar stated after he was dropped in James Neesham’s successive overs after his half-century off 44 balls with 10 boundaries.
“I get a whole lot of liberty whereas taking part in with (Mohammad) Rizwan and he made issues simpler for me. I used to be instructed to keep on the crease until the top.”
Fakhar shared two dominant century stands, including 135 runs with captain Babar Azam (65), and an unbroken 119 with Rizwan (54 not out), who survived two shut run-outs and reversed a caught behind determination towards him on assessment.
Fakhar was particularly punishing of New Zealand spinners Ish Sodhi (1-79) and Rachin Ravindra (0-75), who conceded 154 runs off their 20 overs.
Pakistan opted to relaxation common bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan and made New Zealand bat first once more. Except for Naseem Shah, the remainder of the Pakistan bowlers struggled towards Mitchell and Tom Latham.
Mitchell and Latham, who made 98 off 85 balls, mixed in a 183-run stand after Chad Bowes’ run-a-ball 51. Both batters gave quick bowler Ihsanullah an costly debut with 0-60, and in addition picked on Haris Rauf, regardless of him taking 4-78.
Mitchell’s and Latham’s aggression allowed New Zealand to rating 98 off the ultimate 10 overs towards sloppy Pakistan fielding.
“At the halfway mark we were pretty happy, (but) credit to Fakhar, he played an outstanding knock,” Latham stated. “They were able to build partnership after partnership . . . we have done that well in the last couple of games, but we have to create more chances in the middle phases.”
Pakistan may have disadvantaged Mitchell of his century however Naseem Shah put down a regulation catch at mid-on when the batter was on 96. Mitchell accomplished his century off 102 balls.
His good knock included eight fours and three sixes, and ended when Mohammad Nawaz took a superb diving catch at deep sq. leg.
Latham missed out on a century when Rauf received a skinny inside fringe of the left-hander’s bat.
The collection strikes to Karachi for the remaining three ODIs subsequent week.
