In the first Pakistan versus New Zealand One-Day International (ODI), the hosts walked home with a comfortable victory. Riding on Fakhar Zaman’s 117-run knock, the Men in Green vanquished New Zealand by five wickets with nine balls to spare. The amazing triumph will fill confidence in Pakistan and they will now look to dominate the visitors in the second contest at the same venue too.
On the other side, the Black Caps will look to get rid of their shortcomings and do better in the second game to make a comeback in the competition. New Zealand missed their premier bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the first game as their bowling unit failed to save a huge total of 288. In the second game, they will face a stern challenge from Pakistan, who are playing with full strength.
PAK vs NZ Match Details
Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI Match, New Zealand tour of Pakistan 2023
Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Date & Time: April 29, 04:00 PM IST
Broadcast & Live Streaming Details: Sony Sports Network, SonyLiv app and website
PAK vs NZ Pitch Report
After witnessing the action in the first ODI, it could be said that the Pindi surface will be a heaven for batters, and bowlers might find it difficult to be impactful in the 2nd ODI. The winning captain might decide to field first in the second game after noting Pakistan’s successful chase in the previous match.
PAK vs NZ Probable Playing XIs
Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, & Shaheen Shah Afridi
New Zealand
Will Young, Chad Bowes, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, & Blair Tickner
PAK vs NZ Probable Best Performers
Probable best batter: Fakhar Zaman
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman slammed a magnificent century against the Kiwis and helped his team to bag the match comfortably in the opening ODI contest. In the previous One-Day series against the full-strength New Zealand team in January, the veteran smashed a terrific century in the third ODI. Going by his current form and batting numbers against New Zealand in ODIs, it can’t be ruled out that Zaman might outplay the Kiwis again in the second ODI.
Probable best bowler: Naseem Shah
On a difficult bowling surface, Naseem Shah looked fabulous and wreaked havoc on the Kiwis with his disciplined bowling. In his 10-over spell, the speedster gave only 29 runs and picked up two wickets. Shah’s sensational bowling performance will bolster his confidence to do wonders with the ball in the second game at the same venue.
Today’s Match Prediction: The side bowling first to win the match
