Pakistan Three Down, Chasing 321 Against Disciplined New Zealand Bowling
February 19, 2025: Karachi: Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener is faltering, with Babar Azam playing a slow knock and the required run rate surging past 9.7 runs per over.
New Zealand’s bowlers have kept things tight, with William O’Rourke (2 wickets) and Michael Bracewell (1 wicket) leading the attack. Pakistan is 121/3 after 29 overs, needing 228 runs from 141 balls.
Live Score Update (29 Overs):
🏏 Pakistan – 121/3 (Target: 321)
🔥 Babar Azam – 48 (78)
🏏 Salman Agha – 39* (23)
🎯 New Zealand Bowling:
⚡ Glenn Phillips – 0/30 (5.3)
⚡ Mitchell Santner – 0/22 (4.2)
Key Moments So Far:
✅ Pakistan’s Slow Progress: At the halfway mark (25 overs), Pakistan needed 238 runs at a required run rate of 9.52, a steep challenge. (PAK 83/3, 25 overs)
✅ Zaman Dismissed for 24: Playing through injury, Fakhar Zaman struggled before getting bowled by Michael Bracewell attempting a slog-sweep. (PAK 69/3, 20.5 overs)
✅ Missed Chance for NZ: Devon Conway dropped Fakhar Zaman in the 19th over after diving forward from deep mid-wicket. (PAK 66/2, 19.4 overs)
✅ Rare Boundary for Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman’s slog-sweep off Bracewell brought Pakistan’s first boundary in 17 balls. (PAK 66/2, 19.2 overs)
What’s Next?
With Babar Azam still at the crease, Pakistan has a slim chance, but they need an aggressive acceleration. Can Babar shift gears, or will New Zealand tighten their grip on the match?
📅 Stay tuned for more updates from the Pakistan vs New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 opener!
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PAKvsNZ, ChampionsTrophy2025, BabarAzam, PakistanCricket, NewZealandCricket, CricketLive, CricketUpdates, FakharZaman, GlennPhillips, TomLatham