New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 60 runs in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi, scoring 320 for 5. Tom Latham (118*), Will Young (107), and Glenn Phillips (61) led the charge, with New Zealand recovering from 40 for 2. Pakistan, facing a challenging chase after losing key opener Fakhar Zaman to injury, managed only 260, with Khushdil Shah (69) and Babar Azam (64) as notable contributors. New Zealand’s spinners thrived, led by Will O’Rourke (3-47) and Mitchell Santner (3-66). This early defeat puts Pakistan’s semi-final hopes in jeopardy in the short tournament.
New Zealand 320 for 5 (Latham 118*, Young 107, Phillips 61, Naseem 2-63) defeated Pakistan 260 (Khushdil 69, Babar 64, O’Rourke 3-47, Santner 3-66) by 60 runs
After nearly thirty years of waiting for a global tournament to be hosted in their homeland, Pakistan’s hopes were dashed by New Zealand on the opening day of the Champions Trophy, as they suffered a 60-run defeat in Karachi. With each team only playing three games in this brief tournament, such a loss could seriously impact Pakistan’s pursuit of a semi-final spot. Will Young and Tom Latham were pivotal in their team’s success, both scoring superb centuries to establish control, but there was also a touch of fortune involved.
Just two balls into the match, Fakhar Zaman sustained an injury while pursuing Young’s cover drive and had to leave the field for significant portions of the first innings. Consequently, after his extended absence, Fakhar, who is essential for a successful chase, was unable to bat at the top order and came in at No. 4 with Pakistan at 22 for 2 after ten overs. He appeared hampered while running between the wickets, as New Zealand’s offspinners, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips, skillfully kept the ball away from him, complicating his innings. Eventually, Fakhar’s difficult stay ended when Bracewell clean bowled him with a non-turner for 24 off 41 balls.
Similar to Fakhar, many of the Pakistani batters struggled to find their rhythm, including Babar Azam, who took 81 balls to reach his fifty. Despite injuries sidelining Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, New Zealand’s spinners excelled on a pitch that provided turn and variable bounce. Their dominance was such that New Zealand didn’t require Nathan Smith, their third seamer, until the 31st over, by which time Pakistan’s required run rate had surged close to ten per over.
New Zealand’s lineup was also affected by Rachin Ravindra’s injury absence, but Young and Latham set the tone with their impressive centuries, shortly before Glenn Phillips added an exciting finish. Overall, New Zealand amassed 113 runs in their last ten overs, concluding with a total of 320.
That figure, however, seemed distant when New Zealand found themselves at 40 for 2 in the ninth over and then 73 for 3 in the 17th. It was then that Young and Latham joined forces to mend the early setbacks and command the middle overs.
Throughout much of his international career, Young has remained on the periphery. He may not have participated in this match had Ravindra been fit; however, after achieving his first international hundred away from home, he might still be replaced by Ravindra once the allrounder returns. In the absence of Kane Williamson, Young rose to prominence as the Player of the Series during New Zealand’s historic 3-0 victory against India in India, only to be dropped in New Zealand’s subsequent Test against England in favor of Williamson. Yet whenever Young gets a chance, he is eager to seize it, as he showcased once again on Wednesday.
After Devon Conway fell victim to a carrom ball from mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for 10 and Williamson recorded his first single-digit ODI score in six years shortly after, Young steadied himself and weathered challenging spells from Abrar and Naseem Shah.
Young notched his third fifty-plus score in nine innings in Pakistan, converting it into a century in 107 balls during the 35th over, with Ravindra enthusiastically applauding him from the dressing room.
Latham, in turn, celebrated his own century off 95 balls, finishing with an unbeaten 118 off 104. This marked a remarkable recovery for him after coming into the tri-series final off the back of three consecutive ducks, dating back to the Auckland ODI against Sri Lanka in January. After receiving multiple life-lines while scoring 56 in the tri-series final against Pakistan, Latham showcased his full range of batting skills, executing various sweeps, including reverse sweeps, against Pakistan’s spinners. Notably, 52 of his 118 runs came square or behind square on the leg side.
Following Young’s dismissal for 107, Latham partnered with Phillips to build a rapid 125-run stand for the fifth wicket in just 74 balls. Having been at 10 off 18 balls, Phillips accelerated to his fifty in just 16 balls, launching Shaheen for back-to-back sixes before attempting to ramp Haris Rauf over short third and toe-ending it for 61 off 39 balls.
Phillips, however, wasn’t finished. He provided the highlight of the day by leaping to his left from point, stretching out one hand above his head to complete a spectacular catch to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan for 3 off 14 balls on the last delivery of the first powerplay. Earlier, Will O’Rourke had already sent Saud Shakeel, the makeshift opener in place of Fakhar, back to the pavilion for just 6 runs in the fourth over. Matt Henry, who had missed the tri-series final due to a knee issue, also bowled tightly during the first powerplay, restricting Pakistan to a meager 22 for 2.
This represented Pakistan’s lowest score in the first ten overs since March 2019 and their third-lowest in the history of the Champions Trophy. They were unable to recover, ultimately getting bowled out for 260 in the 48th over, despite some late resistance from Khushdil Shah, who scored 69 off 49 balls, and the lower order.
In his first match at a global event as New Zealand’s captain, Santner claimed three wickets, although he faced some challenging moments towards the end. This marked the third time in just two weeks that New Zealand has efficiently overpowered Pakistan, strengthening their position as serious title contenders.
