Richard Kettleborough (England), Sharfuddoula (Bangladesh), Joel Wilson (West Indies, TV)
Referee
Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
Toss
Pakistan elected to bowl
Pitch Report
: The pitch is on the drier side. But it is a good wicket to bat on. We think you have to score around 300 batting first. There are some dry patches, but there is also some grass on it. In terms of weather, it is beautiful. There is a cool breeze blowing across, which means it is comfortable for the players. The biggest hit is down the ground. The straight boundary is 79m. So, as a bowler, you have to defend the square boundaries.
VENUE STATS
1st Innings
263Avg Runs
7Avg Wkts
92.64Avg
SR
2nd Innings
222Avg Runs
6Avg Wkts
86.16Avg
SR
Weather Update
Weather Update
Karachi,Pakistan
Updated: 19 Feb 22:00
24°CClear
clear sky
2%
Clouds
0%
Rain %
76%
Humidity
14 kmph
Wind
Playing XILineups Out
Which team will win?
PAK
NZ
(Answer to see poll results)
Your input will be completely confidential and used in accordance with our privacy policy
Experts are creating their teams, watch this space
Expert Team 1
W O Rourke
M Henry
Expert Team 2
S Afridi
F Zaman
Venue Details
National Stadium, Karachi
: The pitch is on the drier side. But it is a good wicket to bat on. We think you have to score around 300 batting first. There are some dry patches, but there is also some grass on it. In terms of weather, it is beautiful. There is a cool breeze blowing across, which means it is comfortable for the players. The biggest hit is down the ground. The straight boundary is 79m. So, as a bowler, you have to defend the square boundaries.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That will be all from our side as we call it a night for our live coverage! For now, it's Soumarya Dutta taking your leave on behalf of my co-commentator Arya Sekhar Chakraborty. Good night and see you soon!
Right, that brings us to the close of the first game of the ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025 and we had a cracking contest in Karachi. The hosts were not up to the mark and couldn't put their best foot forward while New Zealand have managed to make a strong start. It has only made things tougher for Pakistan as their second game against India will be a win-at-all-costs contest. For now, the action will shift to Dubai in this group as India take on Bangladesh.
Indian legend, Ravichandran Ashwin took a cheeky dig at Babar Azam's knock against New Zealand. Take a look at what happened through our detailed report, right here.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain) - " We went on really well with the bat. Young and Latham were excellent. Phillips towards the end gave us some great impetus. 280 seemed to be about par on this surface but the partnerships always help. After the score we got on the board, our two seamers were unbelievable in the powerplay. We squeezed the runs and we were able to chip in with the wickets throughout.
We kind of expect Glenn Phillips to pull off those stunners. Was important for us to get rid of Rizwan and Fakhar. It helped us to keep them under check in the middle overs. The Tri-Series gave us exposure and we are familiar with the conditions now. The slightly shorter length works here and the spinners need to bowl slower and that helps their cause. It was a tough wicket to start on and we had to do the hard yards. We build up on the dots and then it yielded the results for us in the end. "
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan Captain)- " New Zealand got a big score on the board and we didn't expect them to get to that big a score. We picked up early wickets but they played smartly post that which helped them to get there. Will Young and Latham were good for them. The conditions weren't easy early on and we thought that even 250 could have been a good score. Our execution wasn't the best with the ball early on.
Not sure about the extent of Fakhar's injury and we're waiting for the report. We lost the momentum twice, first in the slog overs of the first innings and then we lost the momentum again in the middle overs. Every match is important for us. There is extra pressure for us as we're defending champions but we are looking to do our best. "
Tom Latham is the Player of the Match, here is what he had to say: Yeah any time you play on the surface you get familiar with it. It was a bit different to the surfaces we played in the tri series. Young played a great knock and the way Phillips finished it off. We ended up scoring a well above score. Me and Young managed to go through the gears. You can make hay at the back end. Phillips has done it for the last couple of games already. It wasn't ideal, that just nature of batting at the back end. Thankfully I could contribute. Probably we didn't see that too much through the tri series. It turned and bounced a bit more than both teams expected.
Pakistan 260 all out in 47.2 overs
Khushdil Shah 69(49) | Will O'Rourke 3/47 Babar Azam 64(91) | Mitchell Santner 3/66
Matt Henry came back into the attack and cleaned up Naseem Shah to end the innings for Pakistan. The hosts have slumped to a humiliating loss to the Kiwis in the tournament opener in their own backyard. Their effort with the bat left a lot to be answered as they failed to get going from the word go and were reeling under the pressure of the required rate throughout the innings. Khushdil Shah and the tail managed to hit some late blows towards the end and helped them get to a respectable total barring which the defeat margin could have been even higher.
New Zealand had a dream start to the powerplay as the two seamers, O'Rourke and Henry kept things really tidy. Saud Shakeel was the first one to perish as Matt Henry held on to a great catch at the third man boundary. Babar Azam picked up a couple of boundaries but the run rate wasn't getting any better. Rizwan got stuck at one end and it allowed the pressure to creep up. O'Rourke leveraged it as he got the Pakistan skipper courtesy a magnificent catch from Phillips.
Fakhar Zaman came out despite the injury that he sustained earlier on in the day but he was struggling to get going. He did put together a partnership with Babar of almost 50 runs but the required run rate kept creeping up as he chewed up the dots. He was dismissed by Michael Bracewell in the 21st over for 24 as Pakistan slipped further down into trouble.
Agha Salman showed his class as he struck a flurry of fours and a maximum in his innings and looked to accelerate for Pakistan. However it didn't last long as Nathan Smith broke the partnership. The New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner came back into the attack and claimed the wickets of Tayyab Tahir and Babar Azam. With around 13 overs left in the innings, Pakistan were all but out of the contest.
Khushdil Shah put on a fightback with Shaheen Afridi as the pair managed to score at a brisk rate. They almost build a 50 run partnership before Shaheen was dismissed with the score on 200. Shah continued to pepper the shorter boundaries and he brought up an outstanding 50. Unfortunately for Pakistan, he was always up against a tough ask. He eventually fell for 69 as O'Rourke came back into the attack and picked up his third wicket.
Will O'Rourke and Matt Henry were brilliant upfront as they troubled the batters in the powerplay. O'Rourke picked up three to his credit and Matt Henry wrapped up the innings with a couple of wickets. Mitchell Santner picked up three wickets and was great with his captaincy. Michael Bracewell was extremely economical and picked up a wicket as did Nathan Smith.
NEW ZEALAND HAVE WON THE FIRST GAME OF THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025 BY 60 RUNS! They batted brilliantly early on and then bowled magnificently to defend this Total. Pakistan were always left to play catch up as the pressure of the required run rate got to them.
47.2 Matt Henry to Naseem Shah, WICKET! New Zealand win by 60 runs. This has been a demolition job by the Kiwis. On a good-length around the middle stump channel, Naseem shuffles across off and goes for the ramp shot, gets beaten and the middle stump has been rattled. A thoroughly professional performance from New Zealand.
Naseem Shah b Matt Henry 13 (15b, 0x4, 1x6)
47.1 Matt Henry to Naseem Shah, Naseem goes for the lap and then changes his shot to a low full toss a shade outside off, gets beaten.
Abrar Ahmed, RHB, is the final batter for Pakistan.
Matt Henry [7.0-1-25-1] comes back into the attack.
Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf were swinging for the fences here and they managed to connect a few. Rauf finally ran out of luck as he holed out in the deep on the final ball of that over. Mitchell Santner ends his spell with three wickets from his 10 overs.
47
overs
260/9score
0
2
6
1
6
w
runs
Haris Rauf*
19(10)
Naseem Shah
13(13)
Mitchell Santner
3/66
46.6 Mitchell Santner to Haris Rauf, WICKET! The fun is over for the day as far as Haris Rauf is concerned. Santner again throwing it up in the air inviting Haris to play the big shot, he obliges, comes down the track but couldn't quite get to the pitch of the ball, goes through with the shot but more of a cue ender and the long on felder takes it comfortably.
Haris Rauf c Daryl Mitchell b Mitchell Santner 19(10b, 0x4, 3x6)
46.5 Mitchell Santner to Haris Rauf, SIX! Flighted in the slot a shade outside off, Haris waits for it and swings through the line, sends it over the long on boundary. The tail enders are having some fun out there.
46.4 Mitchell Santner to Naseem Shah, slower and shorter a tad outside off, slaps it away towards the sweeper cover fielder for a single.
Irfan : " Rizwan failed badly to read the wicket. The New Zealand spinners got a lot more turn and were really effective in the middle overs which decided the course of the game. "
46.3 Mitchell Santner to Naseem Shah, SIX! That has been smashed across the line for yet another maximum. Flighted in the toss around the leg stump, Naseem waits for the ball to arrive and sends it over the square leg boundary.
46.2 Mitchell Santner to Naseem Shah, flighted on a fuller-length a shade outside off, Naseem tries to go inside out, gets a thick outside edge which just about clears the cover-point fielder and takes a couple.
Sign in with Google
Continue with Facebook
Mobile
Email
Video
;'/></svg>)
W O Rourke
;'/></svg>){kind=small}
Haris Rauf
*
Mitchell Santner
National Stadium, Karachi
