Karachi [Pakistan], February 14: The ODI tri-nation series is nearing its conclusion, and the host nation, Pakistan, will take on an undefeated New Zealand in the final at Karachi’s National Stadium on Friday. This match is expected to be a preview of the upcoming Champions Trophy opener, which will be played at the same venue next week.
New Zealand has been the standout team in the tri-nation series, which also featured Pakistan and South Africa. The Black Caps have demonstrated exceptional adaptability to sub-continent conditions, showing resilience with both bat and ball. Their dominant performance against Pakistan in the first encounter, where they triumphed by a commanding 78-run margin, was spearheaded by Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner.
In their second match, New Zealand’s top-order, led by Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, easily chased down a target of over 300 runs against South Africa, securing the win with eight balls to spare.
On the other hand, Pakistan found their rhythm in the crucial match against South Africa. Their batting lineup came alive as they chased down a challenging target of 353 runs with six wickets in hand, thanks to blistering centuries from Salman Agha and captain Mohammad Rizwan.
While Pakistan’s performance in the latter stages of the series has been impressive, the form of former captain Babar Azam remains a concern. Although he has contributed with runs, he has yet to produce the big scores that Pakistan has come to expect from him.
As both teams gear up for the final, the focus will likely be on the bowling departments. With the tournament largely favoring the batsmen (except in the first match), the team that can manage to strike early and apply pressure will have a significant advantage.
The final of the Pakistan ODI tri-series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be broadcast on the Sony Sports Network.
Squads for the ODI Tri-Nation Series Final:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/captain), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Akif Javed, Usman Khan.
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Ben Sears, William O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Nathan Smith, Lockie Ferguson.