After Brendon McCullum's extraordinary century in tough times, Pakistan batsmen failed to join the dots after the opening partnerships.
nz celebrate
The second ODI of the Cool and Cool series in Abu Dhabi at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium witnessed an enormous effort from a man who has hardly been in form of repute. But McCullum's century ensured that New Zealand's batting did not cave in a second time in a row. What it is also did is challenge Pakistan to win by the series by outscoring New Zealand's 303.
As it turned out, Pakistan fell sixty-four runs short.
But there were moments in the match when it looked like chasing 300 could still be within Pakistan's reach. That was when Salman Butt and Khalid Latif put on a seventy-seven run partnership for the first wicket.
A sudden spate of wickets saw Pakistan reduced to four down for 133 which worsened with the wicket of Butt for fifty-nine runs. In a way, the game ended with the wicket of Butt because thereafter Pakistan did not have much of a backbone left to score 170 runs in the remaining 19 and a half overs.
In the context of things, Pakistan needed one good partnership and one good hitter but with the rejuvenated Scott Styris accounting for Pakistan captain, Younis Khan, vice captain, Shahid Afridi, and Kamran Akmal, Daniel Vettori's men enjoyed their day in the sun!
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