Karachi, Feb 19 Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan stated that his side did not expect New Zealand to score 320 runs in the first innings, having gotten off to a solid start, and poor execution in the death overs resulted in their 60-run loss in their opening game of the 2025 Champions Trophy being played at the National Bank Stadium.
Despite losing two early wickets, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), took the fight to the hosts. Following Young’s dismissal, Glenn Phillips proved to be the game changer as he accelerated the Kiwis run-rate at a strike rate of 156.41, in an innings laced with three boundaries and four sixes, on his way to scoring 61 runs in 39 deliveries.
"I think they made a very good target, we didn't expect they would get 320. We thought around 260 when we took early wickets. The Will Young-Latham partnership was crucial. We tried, but they played very smartly and that's why they got to that total. The pitch was not easy to bat early on, but Will Young and Latham's innings were crucial. Our execution in the end overs was not good, and that's why they made that score,” said Rizwan in the post-match presentation.
Pakistan’s chase however failed to live up to the hype of the home crowd, having gotten the opportunity to watch a major ICC tournament game in the country for the first time since 1996.
After Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan’s early dismissals, the home ground witnessed a lacklustre innings from Babar Azam as he inched his way to a total of 64 on the night, in 90 balls, leaving the hosts in a difficult position.
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.
Rizwan said his team will not be taking any added pressure for the crucial tie vs India and will treat it as a normal game.
“ We lost momentum twice, first in the death overs and then in the powerplay with the bat. Losing Fakhar Zaman [as opener] was crucial. We didn't want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking we are defending champions. This match is gone, and the next match is another normal match for us,” he added.
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