KARACHI: Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s batting mainstays in limited-overs cricket, the lodestars on whom they depend on whether chasing or setting a target, were at the crease as the hosts looked to kick off the year of the World Cup with a victory in the first One-day International against New Zealand here on Monday.

Fans had turned up at the National Stadium but it was still less than half full. They’d been treated to an inspired spell of fast bowling by Naseem Shah, whose 5-57 restricted New Zealand to 255-9, before Fakhar Zaman set up the chase with an enterprising half-century, his 56 off 74 balls laying the stage for Pakistan to power on.

But Babar and Rizwan wouldn’t be together till the finish; the former getting dismissed for 66 off 82 with Pakistan still needing 88 to win. Rizwan, though, soldiered on despite cramps with his unbeaten 77 taking Pakistan to a six-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare.

“We would’ve liked a few more runs but credit to Pakistan, they were clinical and better adapted to the conditions here,” rued New Zealand skipper Tim Southee, as his side now look to bounce back in the remaining two games of the series. “We need to do better in all departments.”

Babar, meanwhile, hailed his performers. “We utilised the new ball well and the pacers did well in restricting New Zealand. In our chase, the idea was to build partnerships. Fakhar and I had a good one and then Rizwan carried us home.”

When Fakhar was cleaned up by Michael Bracewell after going for a sweep, Pakistan still needed 148 runs to win with just over 23 overs remaining and Babar was already flowing, on 39, when Rizwan arrived.

Babar had arrived to loud cheers after Imam-ul-Haq had departed for 11 in the sixth over, trying to hit Bracewell over the top but only managing to find the tall frame of debutant Henry Shipley at mid-on.

Fakhar, returning after his injury at last year’s T20 World Cup, looked in exquisite touch, flicking, punching and driving — the best of seven boundaries perhaps the drive down the ground off Lockie Ferguson with his full face of the bat.

Babar made a cautious start but once he freed his arms, Mitchell Santner was looking where the ball had travelled. On consecutive deliveries, the New Zealand spinner was first lifted for a six over midwicket and a pull for a four square of the wicket. He was on 24 when he was given out lbw off Santner but survived on a review.

Fakhar’s dismissal brought the end of a 78-run partnership and soon after, Babar reached his half-century off 63 balls before finding the deep midwicket boundary for four. He would get his fifth four of Glenn Phillips soon after but the asking rate began to climb as Pakistan eventually went almost five overs without a boundary.

Rizwan, though, made most of a Phillips full toss — the first ball of the 37th over — by hammering it wide of long-on for four but when Babar attempted to do the same, it spelt his end; the skipper stumped down the leg side, a 60-run stand coming to an end.

Rizwan reached his half-century with a reverse sweep off Bracewell and his partnership of 64 off 51 with Haris Sohail, who hit two sixes and as many fours in a quickfire 32 off 23 on his first ODI in over two years, put Pakistan firmly in control. The left-handed Sohail was dismissed as he went for another slog but Rizwan picked a Ferguson delivery and flung it over deep midwicket for the first six of his innings soon after. It was a six over long-off by Agha Salman that would eventually seal the match.

The exclusion of recently-appointed vice-captain Shan Masood from the playing XI had been the major talking point before the start of the game. On this performance, it seems difficult to force his way into the side.

DREAM START

Pakistan had elected to field and Naseem delivered a dream start when he cleaned up Devon Conway off the last ball of the final over for a golden duck before the hosts were up in celebration three deliveries later when the umpire adjudged Conway’s opening partner Finn Allen lbw off Haris Rauf, which was overturned on review.

After a cautious start, the hard-hitting Allen got New Zealand’s first boundary in the fifth over when he thrashed Naseem past cover for four. It was the first of his six fours before his dismissal for 29 when Salman took a superb diving catch at cover off Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell kept out Pakistan’s advances for nearly seven overs but the New Zealand captain was on 26 when he was bamboozled by a superb delivery from debutant leg-spinner Usama Mir; the ball pitching on leg before squaring the right-hander up and hitting the top of middle stump. A dream first ODI wicket for the 27-year-old and New Zealand were 69-3.

Williamson’s departure saw Mitchell (36) and Tom Latham combine for a 56-run partnership until Mohammad Nawaz deceived the former with a delivery that hit the top of his middle stump. Latham was walking back soon after, hitting three fours in 42 off 52, when he holed out Usama to Fakhar in the deep.

Phillips and Bracewell, however, stuck in before putting their foot on the accelerator. New Zealand’s 200 came up in the 43rd over but just when New Zealand looked to be powering to a big total, Naseem pulled them back.

He got Phillips (37) caught at mid-off after a miscued shot to end a 66-run partnership and Bracewell fell after a whirlwind 43 when he chopped Naseem’s delivery onto his stumps. The bails were flying on the next ball too when Naseem’s brilliant yorker saw Henry Shipley undone on his debut.

Southee (15 not out) blocked the hat-trick ball and he and Santner took New Zealand past 250 before Naseem had Santner (21) caught at mid-on with a top-spinning slower delivery for his second five-wicket haul in ODIs.

“You enjoy a performance when you win and the credit for this goes to everyone,” said Naseem, while accepting his man-of-the-match award. “The ball was reversing and our plan worked well.”

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

F. Allen c Salman b Wasim 29

D. Conway b Naseem 0

K. Williamson b Usama 26

D. Mitchell b Nawaz 36

T. Latham c Fakhar b Usama 42

G. Phillips c Babar b Naseem 37

M. Bracewell b Naseem 43

M. Santner c Nawaz b Naseem 21

H. Shipley b Naseem 0

T. Southee not out 15

L. Ferguson not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-2) 5

TOTAL (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 255

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Conway), 2-37 (Allen), 3-69 (Williamson), 4-125 (Mitchell), 5-147 (Latham), 6-213 (Phillips), 7-220 (Bracewell), 8-220 (Shipley), 9-251 (Santner)

BOWLING: Naseem 10-0-57-5 (1w), Haris Rauf 8-1-54-0, Wasim 8-0-43-1, Usama 10-0-42-2 (1w), Nawaz 10-0-38-1, Salman 4-0-18-0

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman b Bracewell 56

Imam-ul-Haq c Shipley b Bracewell 11

Babar Azam st Latham b Phillips 66

Mohammad Rizwan not out 77

Haris Sohail c Santner b Southee 32

Agha Salman not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-1) 3

TOTAL (for four wickets, 48.1 overs) 258

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-30 (Imam), 2-108 (Fakhar), 3-168 (Babar), 4-232 (Haris)

BOWLING: Southee 8.1-0-55-1, Shipley 6-1-28-0, Bracewell 10-0-44-2, Ferguson 8-0-51-0, Santner 10-0-43-0, Phillips 6-0-35-1 (1w)

RESULT: Pakistan won the match by six wickets.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2023