Pakistan (PAK) will be hosting New Zealand (NZ) in the third ODI at Karachi’s National Stadium on Wednesday, May 3. Pakistan won the first two matches to take a crucial 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series at home. They chased down a 337-run target with seven wickets remaining in the last match to record their second-highest ODI chase in history.
Senior batting all-rounder Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 129 runs and skipper Tom Latham added 98 runs to help New Zealand score a total of 336/5 while batting first. The in-form speedster Haris Rauf took four wickets for Pakistan while youngster Naseem Shah picked one.
Fakhar Zaman recorded a consecutive century for the hosts as he smashed 180* off 144 to ensure an easy chase. Star captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan also contributed with brilliant half-centuries to continue Pakistan’s dominance in the ongoing series. Pakistan have won three of their last five ODI encounters against New Zealand and will enter this game as favorites.
Match Details:
Match: 3rd ODI
Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Time: 4:00 PM IST
Broadcast and Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network, SonyLiv
Probable Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Ihsanyllah, Haris Rauf
New Zealand: Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(c&wk), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi
Pitch and Weather Report
Pakistan chased down big totals without much trouble in the first two ODIs in Rawalpindi and fans can expect similar outcomes at Karachi’s balanced surface. The average first innings score at National Stadium is 234 with teams bowling first winning 34 of 67 ODI matches so far.
The temperature during the game will remain around 30 degree Celsius and there is no forecast for rain.
Predictions
Best Batter of the Match: Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman recorded a stunning knock of 180* off 144 with the help of 17 fours and six sixes to guide Pakistan to an easy win while chasing a big total in the last match. The veteran opener also registered a crucial century in the first match as he leads the scoring chart in this series with 297 runs from two innings.
Best Bowler of the Match: Haris Rauf
The 29-year-old speedster continued his red-hot form in T20Is to ODIs with four wickets in the last match. He proved costly but picked crucial wickets despite Kiwis scoring 336 runs. Rauf was the leading wicket-taker in the recent T20Is against New Zealand with 11 wickets from five innings and has already picked six wickets from the opening two ODIs.
Who will win the Match: Pakistan (PAK)
