New Zealand Clinches Series with Third ODI Victory Over Pakistan

New Zealand emerged victorious in the third One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan, winning by 43 runs to sweep the series. The match, which took place in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand on April 5, saw a competitive game between the two sides during a 42-over per side match.

New Zealand, batting first, set a target of 264-8. The team’s innings was largely bolstered by impressive contributions from Rhys Mariu and Michael Bracewell, both of whom reached half-centuries. Additionally, captain Bracewell delivered a strong innings, scoring 59 runs off 40 balls. Notably, Daryl Mitchell crossed a personal milestone by passing 2,000 ODI runs, with his tally reaching 2,041 runs from 52 matches at an average of 49.7.

Pakistan’s response began on a challenging note when opener Imam-ul-Haq was forced to retire hurt in the third over due to a head injury from a throw. Despite this setback, Babar Azam provided some hope for Pakistan, scoring a half-century. The team showed resilience with solid performances from Abdullah Safique (33) and Mohammad Rizwan (37), reaching 95-1 at the midpoint of their innings, with a chase still appearing viable as they matched New Zealand’s earlier position at 165-4 after 32 overs.

However, as the match progressed, New Zealand’s pace attack, led by Ben Sears, proved to be decisive. Sears delivered an exceptional performance, securing his second consecutive five-wicket haul with an impressive 5-34. Pakistan struggled to maintain momentum and found themselves at 218-9 by the 39th over, with Tayyab Tahir making a notable contribution of 33 from 31 balls. Ultimately, Pakistan was dismissed for 221 runs, falling short of the target.

With this victory, New Zealand completed a clean sweep of the ODI series, following a previous T20 series win. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged New Zealand’s strong overall performance in the series, while also praising individual performances from his side, including Babar Azam and Sufiyan Muqeem.

This series highlighted Pakistan’s challenges on the tour, having lost the five-match T20 series 4-1 and the first two ODI matches by significant margins of 73 and 84 runs. The team will undoubtedly look for improvements in future encounters.