New Zealand vs Pakistan | Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2025 | 3rd ODI

Right then, that is it from this game and the series as well. New Zealand finished on a high and with a 3-0 scoreline over Pakistan. Now, both the teams have a nice little break from international cricket. However, a few players from both sides will join their respective PSL teams that will be starting on 11th April, and you can catch all the action of that tournament as well. We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage throughout this tour. Until next time, cheers and goodbye!

Michael Bracewell, the victorious captain of New Zealand, is up again for a quick chat. He says that they have added new guys to the team, and it has been pleasing to see them perform here. Adds that the series win is a bonus on that, and he is pretty happy. Mentions that as Black Caps, they have a style on how they want to play, and they want to continue with that. Tells that there are so many little things that they have won throughout the series. States that it is pretty same to the 2023 series and the bowlers are fast and aggressive, which is so heart-warming to watch, and Duffy has led them well. Further adds that the credit goes to all the players who stood up in different situations, and they have always found a way to get in whenever the situation became tough.

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain for Pakistan, says that they were better than the first two games but still need to improve a lot. Adds that Babar Azam got a fifty and Sufiayan Muqeem also bowled well, and it was a good fight. Credits New Zealand for their performance and says that they were fantastic when they went to Pakistan as well, and the professionalism is superb from them. Says that they need to work on a few things, especially on their batting in these conditions. Tells that they will now put the past behind them and look forward to the PSL, which is like a festival for the fans in Pakistan, and hopefully, they can enjoy that tournament.

Ben Sears is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for his 10 wickets in two games. He says he is grateful to have gotten the opportunity and is happy to have performed well. Adds that the experience was great around such talented boys, and it was special to come in as the first change following some great bowling by the rest of the bowlers. Mentions the plan was just to try and build pressure in the middle, and he is just happy to have contributed.

Michael Bracewell is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliant half-century. He says that it was an incredible day, and he is happy that his team put in a good performance. Adds that the wicket stood out very well as the rain was here for the last couple of days, but the credit goes to the groundsmen for how they have prepared it. Mentions that they have a limited set of resources and that all the players played incredibly well as per their capabilities. States that it wasn’t an easy surface to bat on, and they were pretty happy with that score at the halfway point of the inning. Tells that he is pretty happy with the all-around effort of the team.

Presentation Time...

New Zealand will be pleased with their bowling performance. While they didn’t strike early with the new ball, they bounced back impressively during the middle overs. The pacers were right on the money once again, with Ben Sears leading the charge brilliantly and delivering key breakthroughs. The decision to bring on Daryl Mitchell proved spot-on, as he claimed the crucial wicket of Babar Azam. Michael Bracewell and Muhammad Abbas also chipped in with a wicket each. Fittingly, it was Sears who sealed the deal, finishing with yet another outstanding five-wicket haul - becoming the first New Zealander to claim back-to-back fifers in ODIs.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand put up a strong total in this rain-shortened encounter. Michael Bracewell led by example with a commanding half-century, while Rhys Mariu set the platform early on with his maiden ODI fifty. The middle order chipped in with handy contributions to keep the scoreboard ticking. For Pakistan, Akif Javed stood out with an impressive four-wicket haul, while Naseem Shah claimed a couple, and both Faheem Ashraf and Sufiyan Muqeem picked up one apiece. Although it was a better bowling effort compared to the first two games, they still leaked a few too many runs at the death.

Despite losing Imam early to injury, Pakistan made a steady start, thanks to Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam. However, Shafique couldn’t capitalise on his start, and Babar’s dismissal soon after reaching his half-century proved to be the turning point. While the visitors looked comfortable with Babar at the crease, his departure triggered a collapse. Runs dried up, and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Mohammad Rizwan and Tayyab Tahir offered brief resistance with a couple of handy knocks, but it was never going to be enough to chase down the target without support from the others.