New Zealand vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI - 5 Talking Points

After two heavy defeats on the tour, team Pakistan hoped for the tables to turn in the third ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand. When the two sides arrived at the venue in Dunedin, little did the visitors know that a worse embarrassment was awaiting them there. On a tricky surface where even the batsman of Kane Williamson’s quality struggled, the Pakistani batsmen were always going to be tested.

Well, in all fairness, they were tested and they meekly surrendered. A humiliating 183 runs defeat for Pakistan meant that the Kiwis sealed the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead now. Coming to the match, New Zealand had won the toss and had opted to bat first. After losing Colin Munro cheaply, Martin Guptill (45) and skipper Williamson (73) steadied the ship for the hosts.

Ross Taylor also chipped in with a fifty. The low order collapsed for the Kiwi side and they could only muster 257 before getting bundled out on the last ball of the innings. In the run chase, there was only man who made the headlines. Trent Boult ripped through the Pakistan batting to bundle them up for a paltry 74.

Here are five talking points from the New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd ODI:

1. Guptill, Williamson see the tough phase through

The New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had no hesitation to bat first on a lively track. His call, however, seemed to go wrong when the hosts lost Colin Munro in the second over of the match. The ball was doing a bit and Mohammad Amir picked his lines right up front. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson had the task of rebuilding the innings. The duo did exceptionally well to see off the tough phase.

Mind you, it was not easy playing on the track and even the most nonchalant shots of Williamson looked ill-timed on the day. The two batsmen added 69 runs for the second wicket in 111 deliveries. The partnership was broken in the 21st over when Martin Guptill was sent packing in 45 (62).

2. Veterans come to the party

After the tough initial phase, the pitch seemed to ease out a little in the middle overs. Williamson and Ross Taylor made full use of the opportunity. The senior men hit their individual fifties to get a firm control on the game. Williamson, during his stay at the crease, scored 73 off 101 balls with just 7 fours. On the other hand, Ross Taylor toook 64 balls for his 52 runs. Tom Latham scored a run-a-ball 35 too.

3. Pakistan bowlers claw back in to the game

In the middle overs, it seemed that the New Zealand side had assumed superiority in the game. The Pakistan team stared at a big score considering the fact that the big hitters were yet to arrive at the crease. Much to their fortunes, their bowlers managed to claw back in to the game.

The Kiwis, on the other hand, considered themselves unlucky slipping down from 158/2 to 257/10. The likes of Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson perished for single digit scores. Hasan Ali and Rummand Raees ran through the Kiwi tail towards the end of the innings. Both bagged 3 wickets each.

4. Demons of Pakistan batting haunt them yet again

Chasing a target of 258 for the win was never going to be easy on a tricky surface as that in Dunedin. However, the hopes of the Men in Green were pretty much alive on the day. But their worst fears came true as their batting order faltered big time in the run chase.

No batsman in the top five could get in to the double digits. While Tim Southee bowled tight lines, that included three maidens, Trent Boult picked up wickets at will. At 32/8, nothing looked good for the visitors. Some late additions from the last two players, Amir and Raees, ensured that the score went past the 70-mark before eventually bundling out for a paltry 74.

5. Trent Boult – The Wrecker-in-Chief

The Kiwi bowlers made merry on the day with the new cherry. And the man who accounted for the bulk of the Pakistani dismissals was Trent Boult. Boult returned with figures of 5/17 in his 7.2 overs. His onslaught began in the second over of the run chase when he dismissed Azhar Ali. He soon dismissed the other opener, Fakhar Zaman in his next over. He also managed to get the wicket of veteran campaigner Mohammad Hafeez for a duck. Later, he cleaned up the tail to complete his five-wicket haul.

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