Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd ODI: Karachi Pitch Report, Team Records at National Stadium Karachi

Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd ODI: Pakistan men are set to face New Zealand on Wednesday (January 11) at 3:00 PM (IST). It’s the second match of the three-match One Day International (ODI) series and will be played at National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan, earlier, won the first game of the series at the same venue. The side put on brilliant performances across the departments. The hosts will be keen to seal the series in the second game and break a chain of their struggling executions at home.

On the other hand, New Zealand will be looking to at least level the series. The visitor couldn’t give their best previously. The number one ODI team in the world, New Zealand, would be gearing up to face the stronger Pakistani challenge.

As Pakistan vs New Zealand contest is at the edge, here’s the pitch report and more from Karachi.

Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd ODI: Karachi Pitch Report, Team Records at National Stadium Karachi

It’s a batting pitch at National Stadium in Karachi to say but is better suited for pacers.
Based on the last five ODIs played at the venue, the average first innings score has been around 277, and the average total score varied around 247. 60% of the toss-winning captains opted to bat first. And, 60% of the teams won the game while batting first.

Since 2009, the National Stadium in Karachi has hosted seven ODIs involving Pakistan. However, two of them had been abandoned then. Here’s the record of played games.

Pakistan’s record at National Stadium Karachi:

Sr. No.	Match	Result	Year
1	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka won by 129 runs	2009
2	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	Pakistan won by 67 runs	2019
3	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	Pakistan won by 5 wickets	2019
4	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Pakistan won by 6 wickets	2023

On the other hand, New Zealand, since 2009, have played only one ODI game at National Stadium Karachi.

Naseem Shah’s fierce spell and Pakistan’s top order do the job for the hosts

Beforehand, in the first ODI in Karachi, on January 9, the Kiwis batted first and scored a relatively low total of 255 runs. Michael Bracewell was the highest run-scorer for New Zealand, as he scored 43 runs with four boundaries and a six. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s newest discovery, Naseem Shah picked a fifer.

In reply, Pakistan’s three batters, the opener Fakhar Zaman, the skipper Babar Azam, and the wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan scored the fifties. Rizwan ended up being the top scorer for his side. The 30-year-old scored 77 runs with six boundaries and a six and carried the bat. Pakistan won the game by six wickets and are leading the series 1-0, for now.

Besides, the third and final game, after the second one, will be played on January 13, at National Cricket Stadium in Karachi.