Hamilton - Pakistan enjoyed a successful second half of 2017. They pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a Champions Trophy victory - beating India in the final, had cricket return home in the form of a three-game series against a World XI and later a T20I against Sri Lanka, and won them all.
They walked into 2018 and New Zealand with a glowing 50-overs reputation. The conditions were going to be much different from what they got during their recent successes but there was a modicum of optimism lingering if you were a Pakistan fan. But the infamous unpredictability reared its ugly head again in the space of two weeks. The series has already been squandered with New Zealand clinching the five-match series with three wins on the trot, and there is only the proverbial pride to play for. But Pakistan will be anxious to put their abysmal batting show in Dunedin behind and channel their late 2017 version of themselves.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have been in rollicking form at home. They've come off a tough year in 2017, and have done themselves a world of good with the bright start ahead of tougher home assignments against their Trans-Tasman rivals Australia, and England. And they're not letting up, if you go by what coach Mike Hesson had to say about his side.
"Nothing changes for us. We're very clear how we operate pre-game - I think one of the keys is we're very consistent about how we operate, whether we've come off a win or a string of losses. We don't get too overawed, if we lose a few games, and if we're on a roll, we don't drop our guard," Hesson said even as New Zealand have already sealed the series in rather emphatic style.
The two-day gap after their horror batting show would've given Pakistan some time to return to the drawing board. The fact that Shadab Khan - their No.7 batsman - is the second-highest scorer for them [after Fakhar Zaman] in the series so far is a damning evidence of the top-order's colossal failure so far. Pakistan's batting was utterly exposed and ripped to shreds in Dunedin, but they don't have much to show for themselves from the other two fixtures either. They nearly avoided the ignominy of posting the lowest-ever ODI score, and need to tell themselves that the only way from here has to be forward.
The contrast in New Zealand's performances haven't made it any easier for Pakistan. Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor occupy the top-three spots in the batting charts, widening the gulf between the two sides as the series progressed. The Hamilton game is Pakistan's turn to try and bridge that to an extent.
Despite starting the series with a defeat, Pakistan's only change in the second ODI was forced, bringing in Imam-ul-Haq for the injured Fakhar Zaman. They lost the second ODI, but made just one alteration in the third game by bringing Zaman back in for Imam. The top and middle-order is yet to put up performances of any note, but it is likely that Pakistan will hold on to the senior pros in the side like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. On paper, a dead-rubber is often viewed as a fixture for the losing side to give opportunities but seldom do teams believe that these games have no significance. The urge to bounce back and leave with a respectable 3-2 scoreline could push Pakistan to go in with an unchanged side.
Mike Hesson all but confirmed that the series already being decided will not push the hosts to make changes, as they aim to keep the consistency going. Unlikely that they will make alterations to the side that bowled out Pakistan for 74 in a massive 183-run victory. "We're improving and I think we're playing some smart cricket, particularly on a variety of surfaces, so that's very pleasing."
Pakistan Probable XI: Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees.
NEW ZEALAND PROBABLE XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.
Agencies
