Karachi, Feb 20: New Zealand opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a commanding 60-run victory over defending champions Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium Wednesday, exposing familiar frailties in Pakistan’s batting lineup.

The result not only extended New Zealand’s dominance over Pakistan in the tournament, with a 4-0 head-to-head record, but also left the hosts facing an uphill battle in a tough Group A, where only two teams will progress to the semifinals.

Despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat under conditions expected to favour the chasing side, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), countered Pakistan’s early swing threat with measured stroke play.

The duo’s authoritative centuries anchored New Zealand’s innings before Glenn Phillips added a late flourish with a blistering 39-ball 61. Their collective effort powered New Zealand to an imposing 320, a total that always seemed out of Pakistan’s reach given their inconsistent batting performances in recent weeks.

Pakistan’s response was sluggish from the outset. With Fakhar Zaman unable to open due to an injury sustained while fielding, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel had the responsibility to provide a steady start. However, Shakeel perished early, chasing a wide delivery from Will O’Rourke, while Mohammad Rizwan fell soon after, courtesy of a stunning one-handed catch by Phillips at backward point. Pakistan crawled to just 22/2 in 10 overs, marking their lowest powerplay score in ODIs since 2019.

Fakhar Zaman, despite his injury, walked in at No. 4 but struggled to rotate strike against New Zealand’s disciplined spinners. Michael Bracewell and Phillips dried up the scoring options, with Fakhar eventually falling for a labored 24 off 41 balls. Salman Agha briefly raised Pakistan’s hopes with an enterprising 42 off 28 balls, taking the attack to Phillips, but his dismissal in the 30th over left Pakistan staring at a steep climb.

New Zealand’s bowling strategy was a masterclass in defensive containment and wicket-taking pressure. After Matt Henry and O’Rourke had choked Pakistan’s top order, Santner and Bracewell took over, extracting sharp turn on a slowing Karachi surface. With over 100 dot balls in the first 25 overs, Pakistan’s innings lacked momentum. The turning point came when Santner dismissed Babar Azam for 60 off 90 balls, a painstaking effort that never truly threatened New Zealand’s hold on the game.

Santner continued to weave his magic, 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 soaring past 12, Pakistan’s defeat was all but sealed.

Despite the mounting pressure, Khushdil Shah launched a spirited counterattack, smashing 69 off 49 balls. His aggressive stroke play, particularly on the leg side, momentarily kept Pakistan’s faint hopes alive. However, New Zealand’s bowlers stuck to their plan, taking pace off the ball and keeping it wide, forcing Khushdil into a mis-hit in the 44th over. His dismissal ended Pakistan’s last real hope, and while the lower order managed a few late boundaries, it only served to reduce the margin of defeat rather than alter the outcome.

Pakistan’s inability to rotate strike and their cautious approach in the first half of the innings proved costly. Their decision to take the chase deep backfired as they found themselves well behind the required rate with limited firepower left in the latter overs. The 104 dot balls in the first 25 overs reflected their struggle to break free from New Zealand’s well-executed plans.

On the other hand, New Zealand’s disciplined bowling, intelligent use of spin, and sharp fielding were hallmarks of their comprehensive victory. Their ability to adjust to the conditions and execute their strategies flawlessly underlined their growing title credentials.

This defeat leaves Pakistan in a precarious position ahead of their high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India. The defending champions will need to address their batting concerns quickly, particularly their lack of intent and inability to build momentum early in the innings. With Bangladesh also in their group, the road to the semi-finals has become significantly tougher, and any further slip-ups could prove costly.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to build on this emphatic start as they face Bangladesh next on February 24 in Rawalpindi. A win there would put them in pole position for a semi-final berth, further underlining their status as serious contenders for the title.

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) beat Pakistan 260 all out in 47.2 overs (Babar Azam 60, Khushdil Shah 69; Will O’Rourke 3/47, Mitchell Santner 3/63) by 60 runs.

(IANS)

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