Can Pakistan avoid whitewash vs New Zealand? 3rd ODI preview
What's the story
The final match of the ODI series between New Zealand and Pakistan will be played at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Saturday, April 5. The home side has already won the first two matches, while Pakistan hope to end their tour on a high note. Despite the struggles throughout this tour, including a 1-4 loss in the T20I series and two consecutive defeats in ODIs, they are keen to finish strong. Here is the preview.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval is famous for its batting-friendly surface. In terms of match outcomes, teams batting first have won 14 times while those chasing have emerged victorious on 16 occasions. Fans can catch the live telecast of the match on Sony Sports Network (3:30am IST). Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, and FanCode app would provide the live streaming.
H2H
A look at the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, both sides have met each other in 121 ODI matches to date. Pakistan have claimed 61 wins to New Zealand's 56. One match has been tied and three games didn't have any results. NZ beat Pakistan in each of their five ODI meetings this year. Overall, the Men in Green own 15 wins and 33 defeats against NZ in away ODIs.
NZ vs PAK
Pakistan have struggled across all departments
New Zealand have majorly relied on their bench strength as the IPL-bound players are missing out on this series. However, they have still managed to outplay Pakistan. The visiting team has struggled with their bowling, particularly in the death overs, as NZ posted 290-plus scores in the first two games. Their batters haven't stepped up either.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
Pakistan Probable XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Akif Javed. New Zealand Probable XI: Nick Kelly, Rhys Mariu, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell (c), Muhammad Abbas, Mitchell Hay (wk), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears, William ORourke.
Poll
