Champions Trophy: Latham and Young Shine as NZ Defeats Pakistan by 60 Runs

Karachi, Feb 19 (NationPress) New Zealand commenced their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 journey with a decisive 60-run victory over the reigning champions Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium, highlighting recurring weaknesses in Pakistan's batting order.

This outcome not only reinforced New Zealand's supremacy over Pakistan in the tournament, boasting a 4-0 head-to-head record, but also positioned the hosts in a challenging situation in a competitive Group A, where only two teams will advance to the semi-finals.

Despite losing the toss and being asked to bat first in conditions that were anticipated to favor the chasing side, New Zealand demonstrated resilience and tactical ingenuity. Their top order, spearheaded by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), countered Pakistan's early swing bowling with composed stroke play.

The duo's commanding centuries anchored New Zealand's innings before Glenn Phillips contributed a late surge with a dazzling 39-ball 61. Their combined efforts propelled New Zealand to a formidable 320, a target that seemed beyond Pakistan's reach due to their erratic batting form in recent times.

Pakistan's response was lethargic from the outset. With Fakhar Zaman sidelined due to an injury sustained while fielding, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel were tasked with establishing a steady beginning. However, Shakeel fell early, chasing a wide delivery from Will O'Rourke, while Mohammad Rizwan soon followed, thanks to an incredible one-handed catch by Phillips at backward point. Pakistan stumbled to just 22/2 in 10 overs, marking their lowest powerplay score in ODIs since 2019.

Fakhar Zaman, despite his injury, came in at No. 4 but struggled to rotate the strike against New Zealand's disciplined spinners. Michael Bracewell and Phillips stifled the scoring options, with Fakhar eventually succumbing for a laborious 24 off 41 balls. Salman Agha briefly ignited hopes for Pakistan with a spirited 42 off 28 balls, attacking Phillips, but his dismissal in the 30th over left Pakistan facing an uphill battle.

New Zealand's bowling plan was a textbook example of defensive containment and wicket-taking pressure. After Matt Henry and O'Rourke stifled Pakistan's top order, Santner and Bracewell took charge, extracting sharp turn on a deteriorating Karachi surface. With over 100 dot balls in the first 25 overs, Pakistan's innings lacked momentum. The turning point arrived when Santner dismissed Babar Azam for 60 off 90 balls, a painstaking innings that failed to pose a genuine threat to New Zealand's control.

Santner continued to weave his spell, dismissing Haseebullah Tahir and then trapping Babar into mis-hitting a sweep shot, reducing Pakistan to 153/6 by the 34th over. With the required run rate ballooning past 12, Pakistan's defeat was virtually assured.

In spite of the mounting pressure, Khushdil Shah launched a valiant counterattack, smashing 69 off 49 balls. His aggressive play, particularly on the leg side, briefly kept Pakistan's slim hopes alive. However, New Zealand's bowlers adhered to their strategy, taking pace off the ball and keeping it wide, eventually forcing Khushdil into a mis-hit in the 44th over. His dismissal extinguished Pakistan's last real chance, and while the tailenders managed a few late boundaries, it merely served to lessen the margin of defeat instead of changing the result.

Pakistan's failure to rotate the strike and their cautious approach in the initial stages of the innings proved detrimental. Their choice to prolong the chase backfired as they found themselves trailing the required rate with limited firepower left in the final overs. The 104 dot balls in the first 25 overs underscored their struggle to break free from New Zealand's well-executed plans.

Conversely, New Zealand's disciplined bowling, astute use of spin, and sharp fielding were hallmarks of their comprehensive triumph. Their capacity to adapt to the conditions and flawlessly execute their strategies emphasized their burgeoning title credentials.

This defeat places Pakistan in a precarious situation ahead of their critical clash against arch-rivals India. The defending champions must swiftly address their batting issues, notably their lack of intent and failure to build momentum early in the innings. With Bangladesh also in their group, the path to the semi-finals has become considerably more challenging, and any additional missteps could have severe consequences.

New Zealand, on the other hand, will aim to capitalize on this emphatic opening as they take on Bangladesh next on February 24 in Rawalpindi. A victory there would position them favorably for a semi-final spot, further solidifying their status as serious title contenders.

Brief scores: New Zealand 320/6 in 50 overs (Will Young 108, Tom Latham 118 not out, Glenn Phillips 61; Naseem Shah 2/63, Haris Rauf 2/83) defeated Pakistan 260 all out in 47.2 overs (Babar Azam 60, Khushdil Shah 69; Will O’Rourke 3/45, Mitchell Santner 3/47, Mitchell Santner 3/63) by 60 runs.