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00.0Toss Winner - New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first
Pakistan will start as clear favorites for the 3rd ODI in Karachi.
Expect Pakistan to win the third ODI and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Tournament: New Zealand tour of Pakistan, 2023 | Format: ODI | Venue: National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan | Toss: To Bowl
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Fakhar Zaman's third successive ODI hundred – a blistering 180* off 144 balls – helped Pakistan coast to their second-highest chase in the format, chasing down New Zealand's 336 with seven wickets and almost two overs to spare. Pakistan now lead the five-match ODI series 2-0 and will be favorites to take the series when they take on the Kiwis in the third match at the National Stadium in Karachi on the 3rd of May.
A target of 337 is still considered an imposing one on modern-day ODIs. Not when you’re playing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, however, and certainly not when Fakhar Zaman is in this kind of form. Pakistan's premier ODI opener’s third consecutive ODI hundred obliterated New Zealand in the second ODI. His 135-run stand with Babar Azam, who scored 65, formed the backbone of the chase. Later, a breathtaking counter-attacking partnership with Mohammad Rizwan (54* off 41 balls) swept the game out of the visitors’ reach.
Pakistan’s batting unit is just too strong in ODIs. With Fakhar Zaman in incredible form, followed by Babar, Rizwan, and Mohammad Nawaz , they have some scary batting depth. This inexperienced New Zealand bowling attack is unlikely to trouble them much.
Naseem Shah, with figures of 1-49 off his 10 overs, impressed again on a flat deck, while Haris Rauf (4-78) was among the wickets. Pakistan’s spinners didn’t get much help on this pitch and would be hoping for some purchase from the one in Karachi.
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
New Zealand had done plenty of things much better than they did in the first ODI, and yet they ended up on the losing side. Daryl Mitchell top-scored again with a fine 129 off 119 balls and got ample support from captain Tom Latham (98 off 85 balls) this time, to set up a massive total. After Will Young’s 86 in the first ODI, this time fellow opener Chad Bowes stepped up, smashing 51 off that many balls.
The Kiwis will be happy that their captain is back among the runs. This bodes well for them in the remaining matches. However, while their batting unit is pretty much sorted, their main issue is their bowling. Without the experience of Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Mitch Santner in their lineup, the team is struggling. Matt Henry has been good, but needs more support. Even the experienced Ish Sodhi was carted for 79 off his 10 overs in the second ODI, and things are unlikely to change much going ahead.
Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley/ Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry
The pitch at the National Stadium in Karachi is usually a belter, and another run-fest can be on the cards. The surface is typically flat, and the batters will enjoy its even bounce. Seamers will get some movement when the ball is new, but after that, this will be a batting paradise.
The weather in Karachi on the day of the game will be hot in the afternoon and will become a little cooler at night.
The average score batting first at the National Stadium is 259. The highest total posted at the venue is a massive 374-4 by India. We are looking at another high-scoring game, with an aggregate of around 650 runs. The team batting first must look to post a total of around 330-plus runs to be in the game.
Out of the 49 ODIs played at the National Stadium in Karachi, the team batting second has won 26 times. These days, teams prefer chasing in limited-overs cricket and the team winning the toss is this game is most likely to chase.
Pakistan have dominated New Zealand with the bat in this ODI series, and the trend is likely to continue. New Zealand’s bowling lacks the experience and penetration to trouble the home side’s strong batting unit on these pitches. They will struggle to control the flow of runs again in the third ODI. Pakistan’s bowlers might go for runs again on this belter of a pitch, but their robust batting will bail them out of any trouble.
Expect Pakistan to win the third ODI and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
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