Rachin Ravindra and returning Kane Williamson played key knocks as New Zealand chased down 345 to thrash Pakistan by five wickets in a World Cup warm-up match on Friday.
Chasing 346 for victory, New Zealand lost an early wicket before Ravindra (97) and Williamson (54) put on 137 to put their team on course and they achieved the target with 6.2 overs to spare in Hyderabad.
Mohammed Rizwan hit 103 and Babar Azam made 80 in Pakistan’s 345-5 after electing to bat first but the Kiwi batsmen made the total look easy against an attack missing pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The match was played behind closed doors (without spectators in attendance) as the Indian police failed to provide assurance about arranging adequate security for the game.
The 50-over World Cup begins October 5 in Ahmedabad with holders England taking on New Zealand.
Williamson, who returned from a six-month lay-off due to his knee injury and played the match only as a batsman, looked impressive in his 50-ball stay before he retired out.
“It held up pretty good,” Williamson, who will miss the tournament opener against England on October 5, said about his knee after the win.
“Little bit of icing after that (knock). But that’s part of the process.
Fortunate with that recovery and being named in the squad was exciting to me.“ Ravindra smashed the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground as he hit 16 fours and one six but was denied a century by Agha Salman.
Pakistan spinner Usama Mir struck twice in the space of his two overs but Daryl Mitchell made 59 to keep the chase on track.
Left-hand batsmen Mark Chapman, who hit the winning six in his unbeaten 65, and James Neesham, who made 33, put on a partnership of 68 as New Zealand reached the target in 43.4 overs.
Earlier Azam hit eight fours and two sixes before he fell to Mitchell Santner but Rizwan stayed on to complete his century in another key stand with Saud Shakeel, who made 75.
Rizwan struck nine fours and two sixes in his 94-ball innings and said: A “hundred is hundred in any conditions. I feel proud and satisfied.”
The match, which along with other warm-ups was not an official one-day match, was played in an empty stadium due to a Hindu festival and security issues in Hyderabad.
Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.
Other notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.
Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.
Other notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.
A day earlier, the Babar Azam-led squad participated in the training session where the players tested their skills. They arrived in India on September 27 after a delay of several days in the issuance of their visas.
The men in green will take on Australia on October 3 in their second warm-up game in Hyderabad. Pakistan’s World Cup campaign will begin on October 6 when it will take on the Netherlands.
The highly anticipated clash against India will be played in Ahmedabad Stadium on October 14.
The World Cup will consist of 48 matches played over 46 days at 10 different locations. The final of the multilateral tournament will be held on November 19.
