Partnerships key to New Zealand’s win on tricky Karachi surface, says Young

New Zealand Secures 60-Run Win Over Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025 Opener: Will Young Credits Partnership Focus

New Zealand’s Stellar Batting Performance

• Key Partnerships Drive Total: Will Young highlighted the importance of partnerships in New Zealand’s powerful batting display as they secured a 60-run victory over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener in Karachi on February 19.
• Century Partnerships: There were two key century partnerships in the innings. Young and Tom Latham both scored centuries, while Glenn Phillips contributed with a brisk half-century to propel New Zealand to a total of 320/5.
• Pakistan’s Struggle: Despite a 58-run stand between Babar Azam and Salman Agha, Pakistan’s chase faltered as New Zealand maintained pressure throughout, eventually winning comfortably.

New Zealand’s Recovery After Early Setbacks

• Early Wickets and Recovery: New Zealand found themselves in early trouble, losing Devon Conway and Kane Williamson in quick succession, slipping to 40/2 and later 73/3. However, Young and Latham shared a vital 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
• Further Momentum: Building on that recovery, the pair of Latham and Phillips accelerated with a rapid 125-run standoff just 74 balls, finishing the innings on a strong note.

Will Young’s Post-Match Reflection

• Focus on Partnerships: “One thing our batting unit talked about is creating partnerships throughout our innings,” Young said after the match. He mentioned the importance of building small partnerships to keep momentum going after an early collapse.
• Chasing the Right Milestones: Young explained that the initial goal was to reach 30 overs, three down, before thinking ahead. “We didn’t want to look too far ahead,” he emphasized. After his dismissal, he thought 280 would be a competitive total, but the team exceeded expectations, reaching 320 thanks to the late surge from Latham and Phillips.
• Challenging Pitch Conditions: Reflecting on the pitch, Young noted that while it was difficult for seamers, Pakistan’s spinners struggled with consistency, making 280 seem like a good target to chase. However, New Zealand’s dominant performance put them slightly ahead of the game.

Pakistan’s Struggles in the Chase

• Slow Start and Early Wickets: Pakistan’s chase started sluggishly with only 22 runs in the first 10 overs while losing Saud Shakeel and captain Mohammad Rizwan early. With Fakhar Zaman struggling due to injury and Babar Azam unable to score freely, New Zealand tightened their grip.
• Late Resistance from Agha and Khushdil Shah: Despite the early setbacks, Salman Agha (42 off 28) and Khushdil Shah (69 off 49) fought back, but the target of 320 proved too steep to chase.

Salman Agha Reflects on Pakistan’s Loss

• Lack of Momentum in the Chase: Agha noted that Pakistan’s chase lacked momentum, highlighting the importance of building partnerships when chasing a high total like 320. “We couldn’t create momentum; the wickets kept falling,” he said.
• Powerplay Impact: Reflecting on the difference in performance, Agha pointed to the powerplay as a crucial factor. “In the previous match against South Africa, we made 80+ runs in the powerplay. But today, we didn’t even reach 30 runs,” Agha explained, attributing the slow start to the absence of Fakhar Zaman at the start of the inning.
• Fakhar Zaman’s Absence: Agha acknowledged that Zaman’s absence, due to injury, played a key role in Pakistan’s slow start, as he is a key player in utilizing the powerplay. “In the last 5-6 years, Fakhar is such a power player who utilizes the powerplay better than anyone else,” Agha added.

Conclusion: New Zealand’s Dominance and Pakistan’s Missed Opportunities

• New Zealand’s Tactical Play: New Zealand’s emphasis on partnerships, both in batting and fielding, allowed them to recover from early setbacks and post a competitive total.
• Pakistan’s Missed Opportunities: Despite a few late efforts from Agha and Shah, Pakistan’s failure to build momentum, especially in the powerplay, ultimately led to their downfall as they fell short in the chase.

New Zealand’s clinical performance with the bat and ball ensured they were always in control, while Pakistan will need to address their early inning struggles if they are to bounce back in the tournament.