New Zealand emerged victorious in the Tri-Nation ODI series, defeating Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final held in Karachi. Chasing a target of 243, the Black Caps reached the mark in the 46th over with five wickets in hand.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan struggled early on. Fakhar Zaman departed for 10, followed by Saud Shakeel (8) and Babar Azam (29), leaving the team in a precarious position. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha stabilized the innings with an 88-run partnership, but both fell short of their fifties—Rizwan scoring 46 and Salman 45. Tayyab Tahir contributed 38 runs, but the team was eventually bowled out for 242 in the final over. Will O’Rourke led New Zealand’s bowling attack with 4 wickets, while Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner took 2 wickets each.
New Zealand’s chase started shakily as Will Young was dismissed for 5 by Naseem Shah in the second over. However, Kane Williamson (34) and Devon Conway (48) built a solid foundation before losing their wickets.
Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham then guided New Zealand towards victory with crucial contributions. Latham was fortunate to get two reprieves—Abrar Ahmed had him LBW but didn’t take a review, and Shaheen Afridi dropped his catch in the next over. Mitchell and Latham scored 57 and 56 runs, respectively, steering their team to a comfortable win.
New Zealand secured the series title by reaching the target in the 46th over. Pakistan’s bowling efforts were led by Naseem Shah, who claimed two wickets, while Shaheen, Abrar, and Salman took one wicket each
