New Zealand vs Pakistan | New Zealand and South Africa tour of Pakistan, 2025 | Final

Right then, that is it from this ODI and Tri-Nation Series as well where New Zealand won all three matches. The trophy is now being handed over to the Kiw skipper, Mitch Santner, who joins his teammates to lift it together and pose for some pictures. Now, these two sides will meet again in the curtain-raiser of the 2025 Champions Trophy on 19th February, Wednesday. The first ball will be bowled at 9 am GMT, but as you know, you can join us early for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Mitch Santner, the victorious skipper of New Zealand says that they ticked all the boxes before the Champions Trophy and different people stepped up and different times, for the team. Adds that the pitch was a little bit slower than they thought and was two-paced. Mentions that they tried to build pressure and take wickets up top and that would make it easier for the other guys to do the remaining job. Says that the powerplay is the best time to bat and get wickets and restricting runs in that phase is crucial. Concludes by saying that it is nice to have different guys firing before the tournament.

Muhammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan says they elected to bat first because they thought the pitch would play slowly in the second innings and it was like that but credit goes to Kiwi bowlers. Adds that they lost three wickets in the Powerplay and they were looking at something around 280 at first but then Santner and Bracewell bowled brilliantly, and they had to adjust and in the end, 10-15 runs more could have changed things. Mentions that he and Salman had to build a partnership, but he lost his wicket at the wrong time. Says they need to improve their fielding a lot, but Abrar has done well in recent times and looks like the best fielder in the side. Ends by saying that they will now need to learn from this and focus on the Champions Trophy.

Muhammad Salman Ali PLAYER OF THE SERIES for his all-around performance. He says he feels nice for the way he performed but isn't happy that the side couldn't win the game. Mentions that this is how the pitch will play here is Karachi and could be the case going ahead. Says it was a challenging wicket and his wicket came at the wrong time, or a total beyond 280-290 runs would have been a different game altogether.

Will O’Rourke is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his excellent blowing display. He says that there was a nice breeze blowing across and that helped him push it across the left-handers. Adds that the wicket was a bit two-paced and he tried to whack it into the wicket and got different results. Says that it was holding a bit onto the surface. Mentions that the boys have been playing nicely and would like to take this momentum into the Champions Trophy.

Presentation Time...

Pakistan will be gutted with their bowling and fielding effort! Naseem Shah struck early and returned for another, while Muhammad Salman Ali and Abrar Ahmed chipped in, but they never built sustained pressure. The real damage, though, came in the field - too many dropped catches and sloppy moments proved costly. They’ll need to fix these issues fast before the bigger challenges ahead.

Earlier in the game, Pakistan put up a somewhat fighting total, thanks to solid knocks from Muhammad Rizwan and Muhammad Salman Ali, along with some late fireworks from the lower order. But New Zealand’s bowlers were on fire! The skipper led from the front with a brilliant spell, Michael Bracewell matched his impact, and Will O’Rourke stole the show with a superb four-wicket haul. Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy chipped in as well, ensuring Pakistan never got out of hand.

New Zealand made light work of the chase despite an early setback! Kane Williamson and Devon Conway laid a solid foundation before Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell took control, steering the ship with confidence. Mitchell’s fifty was vital, but he fell before the finish, as did Latham after a charmed knock. In the end, it was only fitting that Glenn Phillips, the star of the first game, sealed the deal or the Kiwis.