Will Young and Tom Latham were the players who ensured that the Kiwis set a large target on the board in what appeared to be a challenging pitch at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan’s defeat against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opening in Karachi on February 19 dealt them a serious setback. The Men in Green have had a rough start to their title defense as the BlackCaps have outplayed them.
In the first innings, the hosts had trouble holding the middle-order Kiwi batsmen in check, and in the second innings, they were unable to form productive partnerships as they attempted to reach 320.
The Kiwi pair established a foundation for the team with a crucial 118-run partnership at the fourth wicket. Will Young discussed the mentality that existed when he and Tom Latham were batting together and said that forming partnerships was crucial to batting, particularly after losing three significant wickets quickly.
“To be perfectly honest with you, Tom Latham and I were aware that we were somewhat behind three. We didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves by discussing previous results and such. Our goal was to reach 30 overs with three down. Our initial objective was that. The following step was until the 35th over, after which I was removed.
During the press conference after the game, Will Young stated, “I thought 280 was a really good total when I came off, and I think I got out in the 38th over.”
The Kiwi opening also discussed how the ball behaved off the field and clarified what they believed to be a manageable and defendable total.
It was challenging if the seamers struck a nice length. The oddball was falling. The spinners from Pakistan also demonstrated that the ball will hold in the surface and turn somewhat when they slowed it down. Additionally, it was skiddy when they fired it a little bit faster. Thus, it wasn’t simple. Additionally, I considered 280 to be a decent score. And it goes without saying that the way Tommy and GP [Glenn Phillips] got things going and ended the innings was just outstanding. And we all thought we were a little ahead of the game when we reached 320.
However, as you mentioned, Pakistan managed to chase down 350 runs on the same pitch. We knew we needed to get out to a strong start, and happily we did, and we were able to maintain it,” Will Young continued.
In relation to the game, Tom Latham was named Player of the Match for his outstanding, undefeated hit of 118 off just 104 deliveries. The Kiwis’ next games are against India on March 2 and Bangladesh on February 24.
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