New Zealand set to seal the series in Hamilton
Unlike the T20I series there are just three ODIs on the schedule, which means this is a must win for Pakistan if they are to keep the series alive. Conversely New Zealand will want to make sure they leave nothing to chance and finish it off as quickly as possible.
Mark Chapman was the talk of the town after the first ODI as he became just the third batsman in ODI history to hit a century for two different countries. He joined a list that also includes Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan, who both managed the feat for Ireland and England. Chapman added his knock of 132 to a couple of centuries posted for Hong Kong.
Pakistan have struggled on their trip to New Zealand with just one win from six games. There were positive signs on show in Napier however as Babar Azam made 78 and Salman Agha 58. Abdullah Shafique and Usman Khan also got good starts. It wasn’t a win, but there was more resistance on offer than was shown in the T20I series.
New Zealand vs Pakistan | 2nd ODI | Wednesday 02 April 2025 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 12:00am
Venue: Westpac Park (Seddon Park), Hamilton.
New Zealand has an excellent record at Seddon Park having won 25 of the 35 ODIs (that’s 71.42%) they have played there. With three games ending as No Result, it means they have lost just seven games at the venue.
Pakistan have visited the venue on four occasions, and it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for them – they have won just once. That win came in 2011 when Ahmed Shehzad delivered a man of the match performance with a knock of 115.
Each of Pakistan’s four games in Hamilton has been against New Zealand. The last time these side place at Seddon Park was 2018.
Of the 40 ODI’s played at the venue the team that fields first has the advantage with 23 wins to their credit as opposed to 14 for the side setting. Three games have ended with no result.
Weather:
Rain is coming but it is only scheduled to arrive on Thursday, so cricket should be a go on Wednesday. There will be a breeze, and humidity will be at 65 percent, but the temperature will be comfortable in the mid-twenties.
Form (most recent game first):
New Zealand: W, l, W, L, W
Pakistan: L, A, L, L, L.
Key player:
New Zealand, Will Young: He failed in the opening game of the series, dismissed for just a single, but Will Young is an outstanding player who just gets on with things in a quiet and understated manner. He averages 40.82 in ODIs and although he failed in Napier, he made 107 against Pakistan in the opening game of the Champions Trophy. He is in reasonable touch and due another big knock – we are tipping him to be the top scorer in Hamilton.
Pakistan, Imam-ul-Haq: Opener Usman Khan has been ruled out of the second ODI, and probably the rest of the series, with a hamstring strain. It means that Imam-ul-Haq is likely going to get the nod at the top of the order. The bespectacled opener hasn’t had a sustained run in the side for a while – he was brought in as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman during the Champions Trophy, but he didn’t get much chance to add to his ODI run tally. He has however been in good form at domestic level with recent scores, across different formats, of 79*, 41 and 158. He boasts an ODI batting average of 47.69 from 73 ODIs and will be desperate to make the most of his chance at the top of the order.
Verdict: New Zealand
As much as there have been visible signs of improvement from Pakistan, New Zealand still look like they have too much. They are hungry and well drilled and they are playing at home. If Pakistan do win it will likely be on the back of an outstanding individual performance from one of their players. If nobody can conjure such a performance, then it will be New Zealand who win it with another disciplined team effort
