Pakistan will aim to avoid a whitewash in their three-match One-day International series against New Zealand when they meet the hosts in the third and final ODI at Bay Oval on Saturday. After losing a five-match T20I series to the BlackCaps, Mohammad Rizwanâs side had hoped for a strong recovery in the 50-over format. However, New Zealandâs dominance in both matches so far has put Pakistanâs comeback hopes in jeopardy.
In the first ODI in Napier, Pakistan reduced New Zealand to 50-3, but a brilliant century by Mark Chapman allowed the Kiwis to set a challenging total of 344-9, which Pakistan fell short of by 73 runs. The second game saw Mitchell Hayâs explosive 99 off 78 balls lift New Zealand from 132-5, allowing them to dismiss Pakistan for just 208 runs, with more than nine overs remaining.
Faheem Ashraf’s 73-run knock was the highlight for Pakistan, as it prevented an even heavier defeat. While Pakistanâs bowlers showed promise early on, they struggled to maintain pressure through the innings. “As a team, we are playing in phases,” Faheem explained after the match. “Sometimes we perform well, but then we leak runs, and that cost us.”
Even with the bat, Pakistan has faced challenges in capitalizing on strong starts. Faheem, who formed a crucial 10th-wicket partnership with Naseem Shah, lamented that they couldn’t carry the fight deeper into the match. âOur goal was to play till the end,â he said. “We were getting boundaries, and if weâd played the full overs, we might have gotten closer to the target.”
Given their recent success on foreign tours, including series wins in Australia and South Africa, Pakistan was expected to perform well against a New Zealand side missing key players. However, their pace attack, which had been a strength, struggled in the New Zealand conditions.
Despite the setbacks, Faheem emphasized the importance of team unity and collective effort. “It’s everyoneâs effort to win, and our goal is always to win,” he stated. “As a team, if we back each other up, we can play much better cricket.” He remained hopeful that Pakistan would end their tough tour on a positive note by securing a victory in the final ODI.
“Look, as long as you’re playing cricket, nothing is impossible,” Faheem said. “You just need to focus on your efforts, and everyone needs to align their thinking. If the whole teamâs mindset is the same, we will definitely win.” Pakistan will hope to take this mindset into the third ODI and avoid a series whitewash by playing their best cricket.
