On Saturday, New Zealand secured a commanding victory over Pakistan in the first ODI of their three-match series, taking a 1-0 lead. Mark Chapman’s massive innings and a record-breaking debut for Muhammad Abbas, launched New Zealand to a 73-run victory.
Meanwhile, despite a valiant effort from Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Salman Agha, who scored 78 and 58 respectively, Pakistan fell short in their chase of a monumental total of 344. They were bowled out for 271 in 44.1 overs.
Asked to bat, Black Caps proved to be a masterstroke as they set a massive target for Pakistan. The Kiwi batsmen delivered a brilliant performance, with Mark Chapman leading the charge. Chapman played a sensational knock, amassing a brilliant 132 runs. He stitched a match-changing 199-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (76 off 84) to lift the side to a big total. Chapman’s 132 was particularly impressive as it provided New Zealand with a platform for a good score.
Later, debutant Muhammad Abbas, who contributed a quickfire 52, set a new record for the fastest 50 by a batter on debut in men’s ODIs. He brought up his half-century off just 24 balls. In reply, Pakistan had their task cut out, but their chase never gained full momentum, thanks to the efforts of New Zealand’s bowlers, particularly Nathan Smith, who returned with four wickets.
Pakistan’s chase started on a promising note, but the loss of early wickets put them under pressure. Returning batter Babar Azam played a brilliant knock of 78 runs to keep the chase alive but he didn’t get the required support from the other end. Salman Agha, who has been in impressive form recently, also played a valuable hand with 58 runs, but without a significant partnership, Pakistan failed to go over the line.