PAK vs NZ Highlights: Iftikhar Ahmed’s unbeaten 94 went in vain as Pakistan lose the fifth ODI against New Zealand by 47 runs on Sunday, 7th May 2023. With the win, Tom Latham-led New Zealand avoided a whitewash in the five-match series. Pakistan though win the series 4-1. Follow PAK vs NZ LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
PAK vs NZ Highlights: New Zealand register 47-run victory in fifth ODI against Pakistan – Watch Highlights
With the loss, World No.1 Pakistan slipped to No. 3 in the ODI rankings behind Australia and India after it was bowled out for 252 in 46.1 overs — its lowest total in the series — as run-machine Babar Azam went for just one run in his 100th ODI in the final game.
Half centuries by Will Young (87) and captain Tom Latham (59) formed the backbone of New Zealand’s total of 299 in 49.3 overs after Latham won his third successive toss in the Karachi-leg of the series, but decided to bat first for the first time. Middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed missed out on his first ODI century and made a fighting unbeaten 94 off 72 balls after Pakistan’s top-order stuttered for the first time in the series.
Fakhar Zaman (33) and Shan Masood (7) both struggled against Matt Henry and Adam Milne’s impeccable lengths with the new ball. Babar had a dream series but on Sunday the Pakistan skipper was caught at backward point off Henry Shipley (3-34), one of the four changes New Zealand made for the final game.
Iftikhar and Salman Ali Agha put Pakistan’s chase back on track with a 97-run fifth-wicket stand before Shipley returned and broke the partnership by having Agha caught at mid-off in the 35th over. Iftikhar ran out of partners in the death overs with left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra finishing with 3-65 as No. 11 Haris Rauf was run out at the non-striker’s end while attempting a second run.
Earlier, Young missed out on the second opportunity in the series to score a hundred as Pakistan’s ploy to go with two specialist leg-spinners worked well in the middle overs. Leg-spinners Usama Mir (2-53) and Shadab Khan (2-67) shared four of the five top-order wickets. Shadab got two key wickets when he found a thin outside edge of Young’s bat. Mark Chapman (43) looked to accelerate with Latham but Shadab had him caught well by Mohammad Rizwan down the leg side.
Mir accounted for the wickets of Henry Nicholls, who replaced Daryl Mitchell at No. 3, and Latham holed out in the deep while going for a big shot before Pakistan’s pacers took charge in the death overs.
Rachin Ravindra (28) and Cole McConchie (26) played little cameos but Pakistan came back strong in the last five overs and claimed five wickets for 32 runs with Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-46) and Haris Rauf (1-45) drying up the runs.
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