Cricket

'Abb dekho kaise bottle karenge' - Fans react as Pakistan beat New Zealand in first ODI to cruise to 500th ODI win in history

Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the first ODI of the series with stellar performance from Fakhar Zaman. Here's how fans reacted.

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Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan vs New Zealand

Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan vs New Zealand (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan and New Zealand square off against one another in five one-day internationals (ODIs) at the former's home following a five-match T20I series that ended in a 2-2 draw. New Zealand would aim to improve upon their victory over Pakistan in a 50-over series earlier in January 2023 in an ODI World Cup Year. Kiwis, who haven't played there in 20 years, will need to get used to the Rawalpindi surface.

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Earlier in January 2023, the two countries played each other in a three-match ODI series, which New Zealand won by 2-1. They have faced off in 111 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), with Pakistan holding a slim 56-50 advantage. Four games had no outcome, and 1 game finished in a draw.

Pakistan win first ODI against New Zealand by 5 wickets

In the opening ODI at Rawalpindi, Pakistan easily defeated New Zealand by five wickets because of Fakhar Zaman's tenth ODI century and Naseem Shah's astonishingly economical bowling display. They became the third team to do so while doing so, and their 500th ODI victory made them the second-fastest side to reach the milestone after Australia, who did so in 811 games. After a 124-run opening partnership between Fakhar and Imam-ul-Haq, Pakistan never faced a genuine threat of failing to reach their target of 289 runs for victory. They crossed the finish line in the 49th over and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series thanks to 39 from skipper Babar Azam and a cameo deeper down the order by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

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With the help of Daryl Mitchell's second ODI hundred, New Zealand reached 288. A century second-wicket stand had laid the foundation for a score over 300 with Will Young, whose individual knock of 86 came off just 78 balls. Still, Pakistan's excellent death bowling and the visitors' inability to hit boundaries kept them in check. This was primarily because of Naseem, who was at his metronomic best at the beginning and the end of the innings. His statistics of 2 for 29 in his allowed ten overs ensured New Zealand wouldn't surpass the 300-mark; they appeared on pace for most of the innings.

Here's how fans reacted:

featured Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023 Twitter Reactions Pakistan New Zealand