Pakistan suffered a batting collapse of epic proportions in the second ODI of the three-ODI series. The swing and bounce got the better of Pakistan batters as they were reduced to 32 for 5 in the 12th over. Had it not been for all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and concussion replacement Naseem Shah's maiden half-centuries, Pakistan would have lost the second ODI by even greater margin than 84 runs at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan who opted to bat second in the second ODI was bruised by William ORourke's short ball and then dismissed by Ben Sears in the 12th over as he became a part of the batting collapse. He managed to score just five runs from 27 balls. After the match, Rizwan gave an update about the blow to his right arm and lauded Naseem, Ashraf to put up a fight.
"It is sore but it part of the game. (On match) We didn't do well, we didn't utilise the swing and they bowled very well. Later on, Faheem and Naseem fought well for us," Rizwan said.
"These are challenging conditions for us, but we can't make excuses. We are professional cricketers and we need to do something different. The bowlers of New Zealand were very disciplined, they bowled the hard lengths."
Rizwan rues losing key moments
Pakistan were not upto the mark in the first powerplay whether it was with ball or bat. New Zealand got off to an electrifying start in the powerplay overs as Nick Kelly looked to score freely. Then, Kiwi pacers troubled batters with pace and bounce.
"In the last couple of months, we lost the key moments. Today, we didn't do well with the ball and bat in the first 10 overs," the wicketkeeper-batter said.
However, Mitch Hay turned out to be the difference with his unbeaten 78-ball 99 featuring seven sixes and as many fours.
"Credit to Mitch Hay as well, the way he batted was amazing," said the disappointed captain.
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Rizwan on final game of the tour
After losing the series, Pakistan will play their final game of the tour on April 5. He intends to assess the conditions and plan accordingly.
"We don't know much about the pitch in Tauranga, we will go there and assess the conditions," the 32-year-old concluded.
This was Pakistan's fifth ODI defeat in a row. Their last win came against South Africa at home in the tri-series.