PAK vs NZ: Daryl Mitchell's 113 powers visitors to 288/7 in the first ODI

After enthralling the fans with an action-packed T20I series, Pakistan and New Zealand locked horns in the first game of the five-match ODI series on Thursday, April 27 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat first.

The Kiwi openers Will Young and Chad Bowes got their team off to a decent start as they added 48 runs for the first. Haris Rauf got the first strike for the hosts as he dismissed Bowes for 18 off 26. Daryl Mitchell walked into bat at number three and stitched a brilliant 102-run stand with Will Young.

The 31-year-old played second fiddle in the partnership as Young was batting with a strike rate of over 100. The opener, however, missed out on his hundred getting dismissed by Shadab Khan in the 27^th over for 86 off 78 balls.

Following his dismissal, NZ captain Tom Latham joined Mitchell at the crease and the duo took the innings forward by adding 72 runs for the third wicket. Mitchell got to his 50 in 60 balls and set himself for a big score. The Kiwi star marched on with his innings as captain Latham struggled to get going at the other end.

Latham’s struggle (20 off 36) was ended by Shaheen Afridi who trapped him in front of the stumps in the 40^th over. However, Mitchell was unfazed by what was happening at the other end and pressed on the accelerator as he reached his second ODI hundred with an exquisite boundary against Afridi in the 42^nd over.

New Zealand posted 288/7 in the first innings

He went on to score 113 off 115 smashing 11 fours and a six in his innings before getting out against Afridi in the 47^th over of the innings. Courtesy of his classy hundred, New Zealand finished their innings on 288/7. Naseem Shah, who picked up 2/29 in 10 overs, was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan while Shaheen Afridi (2/63) and Haris Rauf (2/65) also picked up two wickets each.