New Zealand vs Pakistan | Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2025 | 2nd ODI

Right then, that is it from this rather one-sided affair. New Zealand will now look for a clean sweep, while Pakistan will play for pride. The third and final ODI will be played on 5th April, Saturday, at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. That will begin at 10 pm GMT, but as you know, you can always join us early for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Michael Bracewell, the victorious skipper of New Zealand, says they started well with the bat but lost a few wickets, and then Mitchell Hay played an outstanding inning, which helped them get to a decent total. Tells the squad is light in experience, but they allow the players to play their natural games, and once again mentions how well the domestic circuit is going on. Reckons they have been playing really good cricket, and they don't want to sell short in the next game; they want to finish on a high. Appreciates the way Sears played, mentions he had a lot of injuries throughout his career, but today's performance will help him a lot.

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan, says that loss is a part of the game, and their bowlers bowled really well and used the conditions pretty well. Says that Faheem and Naseem batted well in the end, but it got too late to make it up. Tells that it was a disappointing game for them. Adds that the conditions were challenging, but as a professional player, you have to apply yourself, and they failed to do so, and he is disappointed with that. Mentions that they made the same mistakes and lost the key moments as they lost the plot in the last ten overs in the first inning when Mitchell Hay hit those boundaries. States that the New Zealand team is very good at knowing and utilizing their conditions very well.

Mitchell Hay is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his outstanding unbeaten 99. He says scoring a century didn't cross his mind at all. Tells he and Muhammad Abbas talked about taking the game deep, and Abbas helped a lot in the middle to build that vital partnership. He reckons this inning gives a lot of confidence going forward. Mentions the bowlers were awesome in this game to restrict their opponents.

Presentation Time...

Pakistan never really found their footing in this chase, struggling to cope with the extra bounce generated by the Kiwi pacers - a factor that ultimately led to their downfall. Their scorecard makes for grim reading, with eight batters failing to reach double digits, highlighting their batting woes. Several players took heavy blows to the helmet and body, and Haris Rauf was even forced to retired-hurt due to a concussion. The lone bright spot was Faheem Ashraf, who stood tall with a brilliant 73 off 80, while concussion substitute Naseem Shah also made a commendable half-century. However, chasing close to 300, Pakistan needed their senior players to step up, but once again, they fell short. A rethink is necessary as they head back to the drawing board in search of answers.

Earlier in the game, New Zealand put up a formidable total, thanks to a sensational unbeaten 99 from Mitchell Hay and a solid 41 from Muhammad Abbas. Contributions came from throughout the batting lineup, helping them get close to the 300-run mark. For Pakistan, Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Wasim picked up two wickets each, while the other three bowlers chipped in with one apiece.

New Zealand’s bowlers came out firing from the very first ball, making full use of the overcast conditions and leaving Pakistan with no room to breathe in this chase. Will O'Rourke set the tone with an early breakthrough while he and Jacob Duffy bowled in tandem, with the latter striking twice, including the prized wicket of Babar Azam. The duo was simply unplayable - though they didn’t pick up more wickets, they kept things tight and unsettled the batters with some fiery short balls. Ben Sears capitalized on the pressure, striking twice in his very first over, while Nathan Smith contributed with one. Duffy added another to his tally, but it was Sears who stole the show, wrapping things up in style with a sensational maiden ODI five-wicket haul.

THE BLACKCAPS HAVE CLINCHED THE SERIES IN STYLE! A dominant display sees them secure an unassailable 2-0 lead, outclassing the Men in Green even without their standout performer from the first game. This victory highlights the incredible depth in New Zealand cricket, reaffirming their status as a powerhouse on the international stage.