KARACHI: It was set up perfectly for Pakistan. A decent crowd at the National Stadium here on a breezy Sunday night was in celebratory mood as the hosts sought to cement their number one spot in the ICC ODI Rankings in the fifth and final match of the One-day International series against New Zealand and close a memorable home season.

The spectators were also here to watch captain Babar Azam give them yet another treat on his 100th ODI outing. But as it turned out, it seemed as if Pakistan found themselves weighed down by the occasion.

However, despite an anticlimactic end that saw the match end as a 47-run win for New Zealand with a dubious umpiring decision for a run-out, Iftikhar Ahmed made a strong case for a place in Pakistan’s first XI.

The muscular right-hander blasted an unbeaten 93 off 71 balls with eight fours and two sixes to take Pakistan close but his partners at the other end — other than Salman Ali Agha (57), who was involved with Iftikhar for a 97-run knock — did not support him enough.

That, however, was also down to a fighting performance from the New Zealand bowlers, who have struggled throughout the series – pacer Henry Shipley leading the way with three wickets for just 34 runs in his nine overs.

After Pakistan opener Shan Masood had departed early, Shipley made Babar his first prey, silencing the crowd chanting the Pakistan skipper’s name since he had walked into bat with “100” printed on the back of his shirt.

Pakistan’s hopes of securing their first 5-0 ODI series win in five years were dealt with a massive blow as Shipley trap­ped Mohammad Rizwan lbw, leaving Pakistan reeling at 52-3 by the end of the 14th over.

Fakhar Zaman falling to slow left-armer Rachin Ravindra (3-65) five overs later pushed Pakistan further into trouble but a steady show by Salman and Iftikhar took the side past the 100-run mark in the 26th over.

After the duo reached their 50-run partnership by the end of the 28th over, Salman went on the offensive with a six off Ravindra and two fours against leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.

Iftikhar joined the party with a pull off pacer Matt Henry for a boundary two balls before Salman brought up his second half-century in a row. It was all over for the latter, though, when he became Shipley’s third victim in the 35th over.

Shadab Khan was the next to go after Iftikhar brought up his fifty in 48 balls. A few lusty blows by the incoming Usama Mir and Iftikhar himself didn’t help much before tailender Haris Rauf was run-out by Henry at the non-striker end despite TV replays not looking decisive enough.

Earlier, opener Will Young struck 87 off 91 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes in a show of great control and immaculate shot selection to help New Zealand post 299.

Although leg-spinner Shadab was Pakistan’s second-most expensive bowler — leaking 67 runs in 10 overs – his two wickets, that of Young and Mark Chapman, proved key in helping the hosts restrict New Zealand to what turned out to be an unachievable score when they seemed to be cruising towards a way bigger total.

Once New Zealand skipper Tom Latham’s anchoring knock of 59 off 58 balls ended, Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-45) tore through the New Zealand tail, fizzling out the Black Caps’ hopes of getting a consolation victory.

Young put up a 51-run partnership with Henry Nicolls, who became leg-spinner Usama first prey before reached his half-century in the 19th over and brought up New Zealand’s 100 two overs later.

He used his feet to perfection and two of his boundaries and one of his sixes came as a result of the right-hander dancing down the ground to swivel his bat off his pads to find the midwicket boundary.

But when he danced down the ground against Shadab once more, this time to clear the extra-cover boundary before striking for four more, Pakistan must have felt the heat. However, it was Shadab only, who struck gold for the hosts two overs later with a sharp spinning delivery to get the better of the batter.

With Young gone, the in-form Chapman boosted New Zealand’s prospects to put on a big total with two sixes and as many fours off Salman’s off-break in the 34th over, by which the visitors had 195-3 on the board. But three overs later, Shadab came back to get another big wicket.

Latham, who had worked hard to keep his side stable, followed Chapman in Usama’s (2-53) 42nd over but he and his side had done enough.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

W. Young c Rizwan b Shadab 87

T. Blundell Fakhar b Wasim 15

H. Nicholls c Rizwan b Usama 23

T. Latham c Salman b Usama 59

M. Chapman c Rizwan b Shadab 43

C. McConchie c Iftikhar b Shaheen 26

R. Ravindra c Babar b Haris 28

A. Milne c Iftikhar b Shaheen 4

H. Shipley c Shadab b Shaheen 3

M. Henry not out 4

I. Sodhi run out (Shadab) 2

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-1) 5

TOTAL (all out, 49.3 overs) 299

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-32 (Blundell), 2-83 (Nicholls), 3-157 (Young), 4-213 (Chapman), 5-247 (Latham), 6-267 (McConchie), 7-283 (Milne), 8-291 (Shipley), 9-297 (Ravindra)

BOWLING: Shaheen 10-0-46-3, Haris 8.3-0-45-1, Wasim 6-1-24-1, Usama 8-0-53-2, Salman 8-0-60-0 (1nb), Shadab 9-0-67-2

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman c Blundell b Ravindra 33

Shan Masood b Henry 7

Babar Azam c McConchie b Shipley 1

Mohammad Rizwan lbw b Shipley 9

Agha Salman c Latham b Shipley 57

Mohammad Iftikhar not out 94

Shadab Khan c Latham b Milne 14

Usama Mir c Chapman b Ravindra 20

Shaheen Shah Afridi c & b Ravindra 0

Mohammad Wasim b Sodhi 6

Haris Rauf run out (Henry) 1

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-5) 10

TOTAL (all out, 46.1 overs) 252

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-29 (Shan), 2-30 (Babar), 3-52 (Rizwan), 4-66 (Fakhar), 5-163 (Salman), 6-193 (Shadab), 7-216 (Usama), 8-216 (Shaheen), 9-230 (Wasim)

BOWLING: Milne 8-0-34-1 (1w), Henry 8.1-1-47-1, Shipley 9-1-34-3 (1w), Sodhi 10-0-60-1 (1w), Ravindra 10-0-65-3, McConchie 1-0-7-0

RESULT: New Zealand won by 47 runs.

SERIES: Pakistan won the five-match series 4-1.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2023