New Zealand Defeats Defending Champions Pakistan by 60 Runs in Champions Trophy Opener
The Champions Trophy has officially begun, and Pakistan faced a major setback on February 19, losing their first match against New Zealand in Karachi by 60 runs. It was not an ideal start for the Green Men in their title defense, as the Blackcaps completely outplayed them.
Pakistan struggled in both innings—first, they found it difficult to contain New Zealand’s middle-order batters, and later, they failed to build effective partnerships while chasing a target of 320 runs. The pitch at Karachi’s National Stadium seemed challenging, and the key players responsible for New Zealand’s big total were Will Young and Tom Latham.
The Kiwi duo built a crucial 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket, setting the foundation for a competitive score. Young shared insights into his mindset while batting with Latham and emphasized the importance of partnerships, especially after losing three big wickets early on.
Young’s Take on the Match
“Honestly, after losing three wickets, Tommy and I realized we were in a tough spot.”
We didn’t want to look too far ahead or start discussing the scoreboard too much. Our initial goal was to reach the 30-over mark with three wickets down. The next phase was to push till the 35th over, and after that, I got out. I think I was dismissed in the 38th over, but when I walked off, I told the boys that I felt 280 would be a really good score,” Young said during the post-match press conference.
He also spoke about how the pitch behaved and what he considered a defendable total.
“When fast bowlers found the ideal length, batting became quite challenging.”
Some deliveries stayed low. We also noticed that when Pakistan’s spinners slowed down the ball, it stuck to the surface and turned a little. But when they bowled it quicker, the ball skidded through. So, it wasn’t easy to bat on. I felt that 280 would be a good total. And obviously, the way GP (Glenn Phillips) and Tommy finished the innings was fantastic. Once we reached 320, we felt we had the upper hand in the game.”
“That being said, Pakistan had chased down 350 runs on the same pitch before. So, we knew we had to start well, and thankfully, we did and managed to keep up the momentum,” Young added.
Tom Latham Named Player of the Match
For his incredible unbeaten knock of 118 runs off just 104 balls, Tom Latham was named the Player of the Match. New Zealand will now face Bangladesh on February 24, followed by a high-stakes clash against India on March 2.