\u201cToday, we didn\u2019t perform well with the ball or the bat in the first 10 overs,\u201d says Pakistan captain
\n hamilton
\nPakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan offered his reflections after the team\u2019s 84-run loss to New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series at Seddon Park on Wednesday.
\nIn the post-match presentation, Rizwan acknowledged the challenges his team faced, saying: \u201cIt is sore, but it\u2019s part of the game. We didn\u2019t do well today. We didn\u2019t utilise the swing effectively, and New Zealand bowled very well.\u201d
\n\u201cLater on, Faheem and Naseem fought well for us. These are challenging conditions, but we can\u2019t make excuses. We are professional cricketers, and we need to do something different,\u201d he added. He also praised New Zealand\u2019s disciplined bowling attack.
\n\u201cThe bowlers of New Zealand were very disciplined; they bowled the hard lengths. In the last couple of months, we\u2019ve lost key moments. Today, we didn\u2019t perform well with the ball or the bat in the first 10 overs. Credit to Mitch Hay as well; the way he batted was amazing,\u201d Rizwan said. \u201cWe don\u2019t know much about the pitch in Tauranga, but we\u2019ll have to adapt.\u201d
\nChasing a challenging target of 293, Pakistan\u2019s pursuit got off to a disastrous start as the top order collapsed under pressure from New Zealand\u2019s bowlers.
\nAbdullah Shafique (1 off 11) was dismissed early by O\u2019Rourke, followed by Imam-ul-Haq (3 off 12) and Babar Azam (1 off 3), who both fell cheaply to Jacob Duffy\u2019s accurate bowling.
\nWith three quick wickets down, Pakistan\u2019s position looked precarious. Things worsened when Mohammad Rizwan (5 off 27) and Salman Agha (9 off 15) also fell without making significant contributions. Tayyab Tahir (13 off 29) tried to stabilise the innings, but New Zealand\u2019s relentless pressure prevented Pakistan from gaining any momentum.
\nAll-rounder Faheem Ashraf displayed remarkable resilience, scoring a brilliant half-century. However, as he continued to lose partners\u2014Mohammad Wasim Jr. (1 off 2) and Akif Javed (8 off 7) were dismissed by Ben Sears and Jacob Duffy\u2014Pakistan found themselves struggling at 114-8 in 28.2 overs.
\nThe situation took a more worrying turn when Haris Rauf suffered a concussion after being struck on the head, forcing him to leave the field.
\nNaseem Shah came in as his replacement, and the pair formed a crucial 50-run partnership for the ninth wicket, bringing the score to 165-8 in 36 overs.
\nDespite their best efforts, Pakistan\u2019s resistance came to an end when Ben Sears dismissed Faheem Ashraf (73 off 80), leaving the score at 174-9.
\nDespite a valiant knock from Naseem Shah, who had earlier reached his maiden ODI fifty in just 41 balls, Pakistan\u2019s innings was wrapped up for 208 in 41.2 overs, with Naseem dismissed for 51.
\nEarlier in the match, New Zealand\u2019s innings had been anchored by solid partnerships. Rhys Mariu and Nick Kelly put on 50 runs before Pakistan\u2019s bowlers began making inroads.
\nDespite regular wickets falling, Mitchell Hay\u2019s late surge guided New Zealand to a competitive total of 292.
\nIn the first one-day international match on March 29, Mark Chapman struck a sublime century and Nathan Smith claimed four wickets as Black Caps eased to a 73-run win over Green Shirts.
\nPrior to the ongoing ODIs, New Zealand had secured a dominant 4-1 victory in the five-match T20I series against Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cToday, we didn\u2019t perform well with the ball or the bat in the first 10 overs,\u201d says Pakistan captain hamilton Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan offered his reflections after the team\u2019s 84-run loss to New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series at Seddon Park on Wednesday. In the post-match presentation, Rizwan acknowledged the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-470258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n