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Photograph: (Source: Al Jazeera)
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New Zealand took an early 1-0 lead in the series after outscoring Pakistan by 73 runs in the opening ODI of the series at Napier. After their victorious T20I series, the Black Caps put up another impressive display with bat and ball. Pakistan, meanwhile, is still having trouble staying consistent.
Pakistan was 249/3 at one point when chasing a goal of 345, but they collapsed to 271 all out after losing seven wickets in 22 runs. The Kiwis lost three wickets in short succession after being asked to bat first, but Chapman and Daryl Mitchell's partnership helped them get back into the game. Mitchell scored 76, while Chapman scored 132. Muhammad Abbas, a rookie, scored 52 off 26 balls in addition to them. Irfan Khan took three wickets for Pakistan, while Haris Rauf and Akif Javed each took two.
NZ vs PAK 2025 1st ODI Match Review:
Mark Chapman disappears all year but wakes up just in time to destroy Pakistan every time he's in the playing XI!
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) March 29, 2025
A nightmare for Pakistan 😹😹 pic.twitter.com/AY7zwXeCck
In contrast to the New Zealand openers, the Pakistani openers got off to a strong start but were unable to convert. Salman Agha and Pakistan's ace batsman Babar Azam worked together to bring Pakistan back into the match, but the Kiwis were able to take wickets quickly, maintaining pressure on the Green Shirts. After a four-wicket haul from Nathan Smith, who was outstanding with the ball, Pakistan was eventually knocked out for 271 runs.
Mitchell (76 off 84) and Abbas (52 off 26) both had excellent efforts, but Kiwi middle-order batsman Mark Chapman had the day. He struck his third ODI century in this match, coming in at a challenging time. Chapman maintained a strike rate of 118.91 while smashing 132 runs off only 111 deliveries, including six sixes and 13 fours.
Mark Chapman's outstanding hundred (132, his highest ODI score) makes him the PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He claims that the wicket was difficult; they were hoping for a smaller score than they achieved, but they quickly picked up steam and reached a respectable total. He explains that he and Mitchell simply trusted their instincts, took some chances, and accepted pressure.
Watch this space for more cricket news.
