Pakistan’s Babar Azam. File
| Photo Credit: AP

New Zealand’s players pose for photo with trophy after winning the tri-series final against Pakistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, on February 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Pace bowler Will O’Rourke claimed four wickets while Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham hit half centuries as New Zealand defeated Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the tri-nations series final on Friday (February 14, 2025).

O’Rourke’s 4-43 helped the tourists dismiss Pakistan for 242 in 49.3 overs before Mitchell’s 58-ball 57 anchored the chase as the Black Caps finished on 243-5 in 45.2 overs at Karachi’s National stadium.

The victory gives the New Zealanders a timely boost ahead of the Champions Trophy opener against the same opponents at this venue on Wednesday.

New Zealand lost opener Will Young in pacer Naseem Shah’s first over for five before Devon Conway (48) and Kane Williamson (34) steadied the chase with a second wicket stand of 71.

Williamson lost his wicket while charging down the wicket against spinner Salman Agha while Naseem returned for his second spell to dismiss Conway.

At 108-3 the tourists’ chase wobbled but Mitchell found an able ally in Latham (56) as the two added 87 for the fourth wicket.

When Mitchell fell caught and bowled off spinner Abrar Ahmed the tourists needed just 48 runs which Latham and Glenn Phillips (20 not out) reduced to ten.

Mitchell hit six boundaries in his knock while Latham’s 64-ball innings featured five fours.

Naseem was the pick of an otherwise ineffective Pakistan bowling attack with 2-43 off eight overs.

“It is nice to win tonight,” said New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner.

“Different guys stepping up at different times is good but it means nothing till we play that first game at the Champions Trophy.”

Losing captain Mohammad Rizwan gave credit to New Zealand’s bowlers.

– ‘Lost our way’ -

“We were looking at a target of 280 plus but their bowlers put a squeeze on us,” said Rizwan.

“We ended up 15 runs short as my wicket was crucial and we lost our way.”

Earlier, spinners Santner (2-20) and Michael Bracewell (2-38) backed up O’Rourke to ensure Pakistan did not post a big total.

Rizwan top-scored with a 76-ball 46, while Salman Agha hit 45 off 65 balls as slow and variable bounce on the National stadium pitch proved tough for batting.

Pakistan lost opener Fakhar Zaman to O’Rourke in the fourth over for 10 and then Saud Shakeel for eight.

Babar Azam looked good for his 29 runs, hitting four boundaries and a six, and reached 6,000 runs scored in one-day internationals when he was on 10.

He was playing his 123rd innings, the joint fastest to reach the 6,000-run milestone with South African Hashim Amla.

Azam fell to a miscued shot off Nathan Smith, leaving Pakistan struggling at 54-3.

Rizwan and Agha, who shared a match-winning 260-run partnership against South Africa on Wednesday, then revived the innings with an 88-run stand.

Rizwan hit four boundaries and a six but he and Agha fell within 19 runs of each other to end any hope of a challenging total.

Tayyab Tahir hit a 33-ball 38, also with four boundaries and a six, while Faheem Ashraf (22) and Naseem (19) added 39 invaluable runs to get Pakistan past 240.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam along with Mohammad Rizwan during practice at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on October 13, 2023.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

Ahead of the high-intensity clash with India in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on Friday that the pressure of providing tickets for the game is more compared to the match itself.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan in cricket is one of the most fierce in the world, with matches between the two countries receiving significant global viewership.

After registering two back-to-back wins, India, riding on high confidence will face traditional rival Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

“There is more pressure for match tickets than match,” Babar said in the pre-match press conference.

“It is not a pressure match for us. We have played each other a lot of times. We got a lot of support in Hyderabad and we hope the same for Ahmedabad. What matters is what we can do best as a team in both batting and bowling. In these conditions the margin of error for bowlers is minimal.” the Pakistan skipper said.

“Experience helps you play better when I was a youngster I used to get nervous but there are seniors who help you out,” he added.

Babar showed confidence that they would win the match against India, leaving all the records suggesting India as a strong team behind.

“I think what has happened in the past is not important. We want to live in present. I think we can do well. India-Pakistan match is high-intensity. Believe in ourselves. There are a lot of fans coming. I think we have an opportunity to do well in front of fans,” he further stated.

“We plan accordingly as in the first 10 overs the wicket is different and after 10 overs it is different. So, we have to plan accordingly. We will miss Naseem Shah. Shaheen is our best bowler. We believe in him and he believes in himself. One or two matches of bad performance do not bother us.”

Babar mentioned Pakistan’s T20I World Cup win against India and said that they will repeat the same in the ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad.

“In 2021 we beat India in T20 WC. I think we can do that here as well. I have not scored many runs in this World Cup till now and I hope it changes. You need to field well if you want to do well in the World Cup. We are working on it. Fielding is about attitude,” he concluded.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.