NEW DELHI: Will Young and Tom Latham delivered outstanding centuries as New Zealand secured a convincing 60-run victory against hosts Pakistan in the Champions Trophy opening match on Wednesday. Young scored a crucial 107 from 113 deliveries, whilst Latham remained not out with 118 from 104 balls, guiding the Black Caps to 320 for five after Pakistan chose to field first.
Glenn Phillips‘ swift 61 from 39 balls proved instrumental in helping New Zealand surpass the 300-run milestone, following their initial struggles.
Pakistan’s top order, featuring Babar Azam (64 off 90), Mohammed Rizwan (3 off 14) and Saud Shakeel (6 off 19), displayed an overly cautious approach. This strategy proved costly as the team was dismissed for 260 in 47.2 overs.
Fakhar Zaman (24 off 41) batted at the fourth position after spending considerable time off the field during New Zealand’s innings due to injury concerns.
This victory marked New Zealand’s third consecutive win against Pakistan in under two weeks, following their two triumphs in the previous tri-series.
The defending champions Pakistan found solace in their lower-order performance, with Khushdil Shah scoring an impressive 69 from 49 deliveries. Salman Agha contributed an energetic 42 from 28 balls, highlighting the missing aggression from the top order.
New Zealand’s bowling unit displayed precision, with William O’Rourke (3/47) and Mitchell Santer (3/66) delivering notable performances.
Young anchored the innings after Pakistan’s decision to bowl first had reduced New Zealand to 40 for two and subsequently 73 for three by the 17th over.
Young Naseem Shah claimed the valuable wicket of Kane Williamson, who registered his first single-digit score in 35 ODI appearances.
Haris Rauf, returning from injury, dismissed Daryl Mitchell, whilst spinner Abrar Ahmed removed Devon Conway early with a cleverly bowled carom ball.
Young, playing as Rachin Ravindra’s replacement, formed a crucial 118-run partnership with Latham for the fourth wicket.
Pakistan’s bowling combination, comprising one specialist spinner, three pacers, and two part-time spinners in Khushdil and Agha, struggled to break the partnership.
The final overs saw Latham and Phillips launching an aggressive assault, particularly targeting Abrar and Haris in the 44th and 45th overs, followed by 18 runs off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 47th over.
President Asif Zardari inaugurated the tournament, meeting both teams alongside PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and ICC officials.
The stadium attendance gradually increased as weather conditions improved, with spectators eager to witness their first major ICC event since 1996.