PAK vs NZ ODI: The fifth and final game of the Pakistan vs New Zealand series was played at Pakistan’s home ground, where Pakistan was already leading with a 4-0 score.
Watch Pakistan vs New Zealand 5th ODI in HD Streaming at ARY ZAP
Pakistan aimed to maintain their winning streak, while New Zealand was determined to recover from their defeat in the previous ODI and win the fifth match.
During the fourth game of the series at the National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam scored his 18th century, leading his team to a significant 102-run victory over New Zealand.
This victory enabled Pakistan to secure the top spot in the ODI Team Rankings for the first time in history.
Despite their captain Tom Latham’s 60, New Zealand’s batting lineup struggled to chase the target of 335 and eventually got bundled out for 232 in the 43rd over, resulting in a massive 102-run victory for the home team.
The New Zealand touring side started their run chase carefully, with openers Will Young and Tom Blundell scoring 36 runs for the first wicket before the latter got dismissed by Mohammad Wasim Jr in the eighth over.
After the early setback, New Zealand captain Latham and Daryl Mitchell formed a crucial partnership of 83 runs for the third wicket, aiming to anchor their run chase.
However, Mitchell got dismissed by Usama Mir after scoring 34 off 48, including a boundary. Latham formed another critical partnership with Mark Chapman, adding 55 runs to the total during their fourth-wicket stand.
Chapman’s dismissal led to a match-defining collapse, and New Zealand eventually got bowled out in the 44th over. During his sixth-wicket partnership with Iftikhar, the Pakistan skipper set a new record by becoming the fastest player to score 18 ODI centuries.
PAK vs NZ ODI Schedule
27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi
