We’re off to the Saxton Oval next on Tuesday as New Zealand and Pakistan clash in the second ODI of their series.
The Black Caps return to the scene of their comfortable T20I victory over the West Indies a couple of weeks ago – and will target a continuation of their lengthy ODI winning streak at home.
Pakistan had their stretch of nine ODI victories broken in the series opener, but there is no taking away from their status as Champions Trophy title holders – and the threat that comes with that.
New Zealand v Pakistan | Tuesday, 9 January | Saxton Oval, Nelson | 0:00
To Win Match
New Zealand 36/100 | Tie 35/1 | Pakistan 43/20
New Zealand
The Kiwis were characteristically dominant in Wellington, where the momentum gained against the West Indies continued against the men from the sub-continent. That supremacy, though, will be tough to maintain in Nelson.
The current squad will be changed for the remainder of the five-fixture series after this match, so this is a final chance for fringe performers like Todd Astle and Lockie Ferguson to justify their selection.
Ferguson’s out-and-out pace is a welcome asset, but not entirely necessary if Tim Southee and Trent Boult are going to perform as well as they did with the new ball in Nelson. The need for a leg-spinner in Astle, meanwhile, is debatable.
If New Zealand are to experiment with their playing XI, drafting in George Worker ahead of Colin Munro and replacing Ferguson with Matt Henry seems the way to go.
The Saxton Oval has brought New Zealand four ODI victories in six attempts, with an even split of wins batting and bowling first. Three other neutral ODIs here have ensured wins for the team batting second, strongly suggesting this is a good ground for chasing.
Pakistan
Pakistan will be eager to put in a substantially stronger performance – and shouldn’t allow Boult and Southee to dictate proceedings the way they did last week.
The visitors have never played an ODI at Tuesday’s venue, but will take heart and example from Sri Lanka’s win here two years ago, when Tillakaratne Dilshan and company showed exactly how to deconstruct the Kiwi pace attack.
There is no genuine reason to change the XI, but a middle order lined with Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik will need to deliver a lot more than the 13 runs they put put together collectively on Saturday.
The wet weather that truncated the first ODI will likely interfere with the second match, too, as a 50 percent chance of rain is predicted. Batting first, if triumphant at the toss, will therefore be advisable.
Bowling-wise, a lot of responsibility will sit on the shoulders of Hasan Ali again. The right-arm seamer’s last 13 ODIs have yielded a prolific 36 wickets – and he’s due more success or a failure. Pakistan, of course, will be relying on the former.
Verdict: New Zealand 36/100
A 10th successive ODI victory at home beckons for the New Zealanders, as Pakistan struggle to find the form that secured Champions Trophy triumph last year.
