Pakistan (PAK) will take on New Zealand (NZ) in the fourth ODI match at Karachi's National Stadium on May 5. Pakistan sealed the five-match ODI series as they beat New Zealand in the third ODI by 26 runs. New Zealand team, without their senior players, has struggled to compete against Pakistan's full-strength attack but will target a consolation wins in the remaining two games.
Imam-ul-Haq's 90 and 54 from Babar Azam helped Pakistan post a total of 287/6 while batting first. Adam Milne and Matt Henry picked combined five wickets while debutant spin all-rounder Cole McConchie picked one. Conchie also shone with a bat as he smashed his maiden fifty while returning wicketkeeper batter Tom Blundell added 65 runs as New Zealand moved closer to the target. But Pakistani pacers struck late to bowl out Kiwis on 261 runs in 49.1 overs.
Match Details:
Match: 4th ODI
Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Time: 4:00 PM IST
Broadcast and Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network, SonyLiv
Probable Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
New Zealand: Chad Bowes, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(c&wk), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi
Pitch and Weather Report
Karachi's National Stadium pitch proved balanced for both batters and bowlers in the third ODI and is expected to remain the same for the upcoming two games here. There was no help for the spin bowlers as pacers from both teams took considerable wickets. Batters enjoyed scoring big knocks with four combined fifties. So, fans can expect another high-scoring clash on Friday.
The temperature during the game will remain around 31 degree Celsius and will decrease to 27 in the latter stages of the game. There is no forecast for rain.
Predictions
Best Batter of the Match: Babar Azam
The world no.1 ODI batter continued to showcase his consistency across formats with another fifty in the last game. Babar scored 54 off 62 in the third ODI after scoring 114 runs from the first two ODIs against New Zealand. Babar has impressive numbers against New Zealand with one century and seven fifties in just 17 ODI encounters so far.
Best Bowler of the Match: Shaheen Afridi
The star speedster bowled a match-winning spell in the last game to guide his team to a series triumph. Shaheen struck late to dismiss Adam Milne and Ish Sodhi to cut off Kiwis' resistance. He also picked two wickets in the first two ODIs before sitting out the second game. Shaheen has now taken nine wickets from his last five overall innings against New Zealand.Who will win the Match: Pakistan (PAK)
