New Zealand 320 for 5 (Latham 118*, Young 107, Phillips 61, Naseem 2-63) Beat Pakistan260 (Khushdil 69, Babar 64, O’Rourke 3-47, Santner 3-66) with 60 races
Pakistan had to wait for nearly three decades for a global tournament to return to their country, but New Zealand spoiled their party on the opening day of Champions Trophy and gave Co host a 60-race loss in Karachi. In a short, sharp tournament where each team plays only three group games, a defeat like this may be able to jeopardize Pakistan’s chances of jeopardizing the semi -finals. Will Young and Tom Latham were the architects of their team’s victory, both struggling to score outstanding hundreds to create the dominance that followed, but there was also some luck.
Two balls into the game, Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury while chasing a cover drive from Young and was forced off the field for large parts of the first laps. As a result of the time spent from the track, Fakhar, whose large framework is exactly what was needed for a great hunting could not open batting in their persecution of 321. And when he came out to beat no . New Zealand’s offspinners, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips, continued to hide the ball away from his reach and made life even more difficult for him. Fakhar’s tortured stays eventually ended when Bracewell bowled him with a non-turner for 24 out of 41 balls.
Like Fakhar, most of the Pakistan fighters couldn’t get out of the first gear, including Babar Azam, who needed 81 balls for his fifty. New Zealand’s attack was depleted by the damage to Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, but their spinners compensated for it at a pitch that offered reversal and variable jumps. The spinners were so good that New Zealand didn’t need Nathan Smith, their third seams, before the 31st. At that time, Pakistan’s requested rate had almost touched ten over.
New Zealand was also depleted by the damage-enforced absence of Rachin Ravindra, but Young and Latham scored tone-setting hundreds before Glenn Phillips gave an electric finish. In total, New Zealand looted 113 from their last ten overs to finish with 320.
However, the total amount had looked so far away as New Zealand was reduced to 40 for 2 in the ninth over and then 73 for 3 in the 17th over. That’s when Young came along with Latham to repair the early damage and then boss the middle overs.
Young has spent much of his international career on the edge. He may not have played that this game had Ravindra been in shape, and despite his Maiden International Hundred from home, he could possibly make room for Ravindra when the all -rounder recovered. In Kane Williamson’s absence, Young had emerged as the player in the New Zealand’s historic 3-0 celebration of India in India, but was left out to Williamson in New Zealand’s much next test against England at home. But every time Young gets an opportunity, he is ready to take the one he demonstrated again on Wednesday.
After Devon Conway was undone by a Carrom Ball from Mystery Spinner Abrar Ahmed for 10 and Williamson fell for his first single-digit Odi score of six years, in the next over, Young Reined himself in and then challenging magic forms from ABRAR and Naseem Shah .
