Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the third match of the five-match ODI series at the National Stadium in Karachi. The home team has already won two matches and they will aim to seal the series. We have seen two high-scoring encounters in Rawalpindi, the caravan now shifts to Karachi.
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Batter Fakhar Zaman is in outstanding form so far for Pakistan and he has scored two centuries in two matches. Zaman’s opening partner Imam ul Haq has also batted well in the series. The bowlers of the side have struggled in the series and they would want to improve.
The Blackcaps have played decently in the series but they have been outdone by some terrific batting from Zaman. All-rounder Daryl Mitchell has been in great form, whereas captain Tom Latham also played a decent knock in the last match. This team is not at its full strength and it is visible on the field as well.
National Stadium Karachi Pitch Report for PAK vs NZ 3rd ODI
Both New Zealand and Pakistan played a three-match ODI series earlier this year as well in Karachi. The pitches at the National Stadium have been really good for batting and the batters are expected to enjoy their time out there in the middle. There is an even amount of bounce on this track which makes it easier for run-scoring.
The average first innings score in ODIs has been 259 runs, whereas it has been 265 runs in the last three ODI matches. In the initial overs, the track is a belter for batting. However, in the second innings, it has been observed that the spinners come into play because of the drier nature.
The dimensions of the ground are very small here and we can expect a lot of boundaries to be scored in this match. There is not much help for the pacers and both teams would like to take advantage of the powerplay overs. The captains may prefer to chase and post a good total on the board in this match.