Fakhar Zaman hits back at New Zealand as Pakistan chased down 337 runs with 10 balls remaining to win second ODI of five-match series by seven wickets in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The left-handed opener was phenomenal with the bat as he lighted up Pindi Stadium to help Pakistan take 2-0 lead in the ODI series.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq (24) left Pakistan earlier today after he was dismissed for the total of 66 runs. But, Fakhar remained top of the table with his magnificent performance.
Set to chase 337 runs, Fakhar got full support from skipper Babar Azam after Imam departed. They both scored a match-building partnership of 135 runs.
Babar went out on a soft dismissal off Ish Sodhi after scoring 65 runs. Fakhar kept going and in the end, partnered strongly with Mohammad Rizwan to complete highest run-chase in ODIs in Rawalpindi.
The left-handed batter remained not out for 180 runs laced with 17 boundaries and six maximums. Meanwhile, he also became the fastest Asian to score 3,000 runs.
It was Fakhar's third consecutive century in ODIs, which made him only the fourth Pakistan batter to do so after Zaheer Abbas, Saeed Anwar and Babar.
Rizwan, on the other hand, brought up his 19th half-century and that too in a winning cause for Pakistan. The wicket-keeper batter smoked 54 not out including six boundaries.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry, Henry Shipley and Sodhi shared a wicket apiece.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell showed commitment to his team once again as he registered another ODI hundred to help New Zealand post 336-5.
After being sent into bat first, New Zealand lost their opener Will Young in the sixth over. Haris Rauf, who ended up taking four wickets in his 10 overs, started the proceedings by removing Young (19) in the sixth over.
Mitchell and Chad Bowes built the innings from there with Bowes scoring his maiden ODI half-century. The two batters were too good against Pakistani bowlers who went for plenty of runs initially. They scored 86 off 80 together to put New Zealand in a position to score something over 300.
It was again Rauf who provided a breakthrough to Pakistan as they left out their key bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for this match. Rauf bowled a slower one to get rid of Bowes who scored run-a-ball 51.
Later on, Mitchell got the support of captain Tom Latham who in the end missed his century by just two runs. Latham and Mitchell partnered strongly for 183 runs and ensured a big total in the first innings. Latham was given out on a review when nobody else believed it except Rauf.
Mitchell, who was dropped on 96 by Naseem Shah, gave his wicket to the same man in 46th over. He smoked 129 runs laced with eight boundaries and three maximums.
Rauf took four wickets while Naseem managed only a scalp.
TOSS
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first against New Zealand during the second ODI at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Pacer Ihsanullah is making his debut for the home side, while Shaheen Afridi has been sidelined due to injury.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan and Shan Masood have been replaced by Abdullah Shafique and Usama Mir.
Pakistan won the first ODI on Thursday by five wickets, courtesy a century by opener Fakhar Zaman, and lead the five-match series 1-0.
Earlier, the Black Caps shocked the home side by squaring a preceding five-match Twenty20 series 2-2 despite missing eight players — including skipper Kane Williamson — due to the ongoing Indian Premier League or injury.
Under stand-in skipper Tom Latham, New Zealand adapted to the conditions skillfully, roaring back from 2-0 down to win the third and fifth matches, with the fourth abandoned after rain.
Pakistan have won five of the seven ODI series that Azam has captained. His two losses came against England in 2021 and New Zealand in January this year.
But New Zealand boast recent dominance over Pakistan. Of the last six ODI series between them, New Zealand have won five and drawn one. Their last series defeat against Pakistan was at home in 2011.
The other matches of the current series are in Karachi on May 3, 5 and 7.
Lineups
New Zealand: Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk/c), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah
- Fakhar Zaman