In the inaugural one-day international match, which took place on Monday in Karachi, Pakistan prevailed against New Zealand by a score of six wickets. Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah was responsible for five wickets.
New Zealand reached 255-9 in their allotted 50 overs when they were given the opportunity to bat at the National Stadium. The 19-year-old bowler took five wickets and had his second five-wicket haul in only four One-Day International outings.
After that, Mohammad Rizwan (77 not out), Babar Azam (66), and Fakhar Zaman (56), together with the rest of Pakistan’s team, enabled the team cruise to victory with 11 balls to spare. The side playing at home jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
The last two matches are scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Friday in Karachi.
After Imam-ul-Haq (11) was dismissed in the sixth over, Azam and Zaman built up a partnership that resulted in 78 runs for the second wicket.
Zaman’s innings consisted of 74 balls and included seven four-run boundaries until he was bowled by Michael Bracewell. Azam’s innings consisted of 82 balls and ended when he was stumped by Glenn Phillips.
Rizwan, who had previously put on 60 with Azam, then added another 64 with Haris Sohail, who scored 32 runs in a hurry.
Bracewell, an off-spinner, was New Zealand’s most effective bowler, finishing with a total of 2-44.
Naseem’s ferocious bowling was a major factor in New Zealand being held in check earlier.
To get Pakistan off to a good start, a young player took down the opponent’s opener, Devon Conway, in the very first over of the game.
Naseem made a second appearance to take the wickets of Phillips (37), Bracewell (43), and Henry Shipley (nought).
Naseem finished off his night by claiming the wicket of Mitchell Santner for 21 runs in the final over of the game. Naseem took his first five-wicket haul in an ODI back in August against the Netherlands.
The batting was brought back under control by Tom Latham (42) and Daryl Mitchell (36), who combined for 56 runs during their fourth-wicket stand. After that, Phillips and Bracewell scored 66 runs off 59 balls for the sixth wicket, but Naseem took them both out in consecutive overs.
Kane Williamson, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, hit 26 runs before being bowled by Usama Mir, a debutant leg-spinner who finished with 2-42.
During his 53-ball innings, Phillips hit a six and a four, and Bracewell hammered a six in addition to four boundaries and a four.
In his 27-ball innings, opener Finn Allen scored 29, including six fours and a six.