Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan on Wednesday offered his reflection after the team’s loss of 84 runs in the second ODI of the three -match series at Seddon Park.
In the post -match presentation, Rizwan confessed to his team, facing challenges, saying: “It is in the throat, but it is part of the game. We did not do well today. We did not use the swing effectively, and New Zealand bowled very well.”
He said, “Later, Faheem and Naseem fought a good fight for us. These are challenging situations, but we cannot make excuses. We are professional cricketers, and we need to do something different,” he said.
He also praised New Zealand’s disciplined bowling attack.
“New Zealand bowlers were very disciplined, they bowled hard lengths. In the last few months, we have lost important moments. Today, we did not perform well with balls or bat in the first 10 overs.” We don’t know much about the pitch in Taurga, but we have to adapt. “
Chasing a challenging target of 293, Pakistan’s chase closed for a disastrous start as the top order fell under pressure from the New Zealand bowlers.
Abdullah Shafiq (1 out of 11) was rejected quickly by O’Rurke, followed by Imam-ul-Haq (3 runs 12) and Babar Azam (3 runs 3), both of them fell cheaply for accurate bowling of Jacob Dafi.
With three quick wickets, Pakistan’s position was uncertain. When Mohammad Rizwan (27 runs) and Salman Aga (15 runs 15) also fell without contributing significantly, things deteriorated.
Tayyab Tahir (13 out of 29) tried to stabilize the innings, but New Zealand’s tireless pressure stopped Pakistan from achieving any speed.
All-rounder Faheem Ashraf displayed remarkable flexibility, scoring a luxurious half-century. However, as he continued to lose the partners-Mohammed Wasim Junior (1 to 2) and Akif Javed (8 runs) were rejected by Ben Sears and Jacob Dafi–Pakistan found himself struggling at 114–8 in 28.2 overs.
The situation took a more worrying turn when Haris Rauf faced a fusion after being hit on the head, forcing him to leave the ground.
Naseem Shah came as his replacement, and the pair formed a significant 50-run partnership for the ninth wicket, making the score 165–8 in 36 overs.
Despite his best efforts, Pakistan’s resistance ended when Ben Sears dismissed Faheem Ashraf (73 runs in 80), leading the score to 174–9.
Despite a brave knock with Nasim Shah, who had earlier reached his first OD Fifty in just 41 balls, Pakistan’s innings was wrapped in 41.2 overs for 208, Naseem rejected 51.
Earlier in the match, New Zealand’s innings was anchored with a solid partnership. Pakistan bowlers scored 50 runs before Rhys Mariu and Nick Kelly scored 50 runs.
Despite the regular wicket fall, Mitchell Hey’s late Serge directed New Zealand to a 292 competitive clan.
In the first one -day international match on March 29, Mark Chapman hit in a sublime century and Nathan Smith claimed four wickets as Black Caps reduced the 73 -run win on a green shirt.
Prior to the ongoing ODI, New Zealand won 4–1 in the five-match T20I series against Pakistan.
