• Pakistan defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the opening ODI.

  • Fakhar Zaman was named Player of the Match for his brilliant batting performance.

Twitter reactions: Fakhar Zaman propels Pakistan to an emphatic win over New Zealand in first ODI
Pakistan beat New Zealand in 1st ODI (Image Source: Twitter)

Pakistan began the ODI series against New Zealand in grand style, registering a five-wicket win at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that proved to be fruitful as they managed to restrict New Zealand to a total of 288 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. The New Zealand batters struggled initially before managing to put up a respectable total, courtesy of impressive batting from Will Young and Daryl Mitchell.

While Young smashed 86 runs off 78 balls, including 8 fours and two sixes, all-rounder Mitchell slammed a brilliant century and scored 113 runs from 115 deliveries, with the help of 11 fours and a maximum.

Pakistan had a challenging target to chase, but their openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam ul Haq got off to a flying start, putting up a 120-run partnership for the opening wicket. Zaman was the standout performer of the innings, scoring a magnificent century of 117 runs, with support from IMam, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 60, 49 and 42 runs, respectively. Pakistan chased down the target of 289 runs with 9 balls to spare, winning the match by 5 wickets.

Pakistan’s bowling attack was disciplined and effective, with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf taking two wickets each. They managed to keep the New Zealand batsmen in check, restricting them to a total that was within Pakistan’s reach. On the other hand, New Zealand’s bowlers struggled to contain the Pakistani batsmen, with Adam Milne being the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets.

“The plan was to attack and stay long. If you survive the new ball at Pindi you must stay long. It is a very good start, one of our first three needs to go on and bat till 40 overs. Today was my day and hopefully Imam and Babar will also play big knocks,” said Fakhar after the match.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/Niirazz110/status/1651564700629336064

https://twitter.com/fakhar3939/status/1651644303582674945

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CATEGORY: Fakhar Zaman Twitter Reactions

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AKSHAT GAUR
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.