Match prediction for New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st ODI in Napier.
Following the five-match T20 series, New Zealand and Pakistan will shift their focus towards the fifty-over format. The first of the three ODIs will take place on Saturday, March 29. The two teams will lock horns at McLean Park in Napier, with the scheduled start time of 3:30 AM IST.
Check out our analysis for the NZ vs PAK match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this New Zealand vs Pakistan match.
The off-spin all-rounder offers great value to the side, especially with a weakened batting unit. Bracewell has been in good form, recently hitting 31 and 46* in the T20 series. He averages 39 with the bat in ODIs and has 34 wickets at 4.84 economy.
New Zealand are likely to have Nick Kelly open the innings alongside Will Young. Kelly has one century and two half-centuries in his last four List A innings while Young has plenty of experience. Expect Pakistan batters to struggle against the new ball in these conditions.
Naseem Shah is the best bowler in the Pakistan line-up. He has an excellent record in ODI cricket, with 47 wickets from 25 games at 23.87 apiece. Naseem has two five-wicket hauls in the format.
McLean Park, Napier, has produced balanced pitches over the years, with something in it for bowlers and batters. Seamers can get good assistance here in the morning. In 49 ODIs hosted at the venue, the average first innings score stands at 233. New Zealand’s 378 against Zimbabwe in 2012 remains the highest total here.
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These two teams have faced each other 119 times in ODIs over the years. Pakistan have won 61 of those games whereas the Black Caps have claimed 54 victories. NZ hold the upper hand at home, winning 31 out of 49 ODIs, with Pakistan managing to win 15 games.
The home side was clinical in the T20I format to clinch the series by 4-1. They will look to carry their good form in the ODI series. Tom Latham was ruled out with a fractured hand. Michael Bracewell will continue to lead the team in Latham and Mitch Santner’s absence. Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra are also not part of the series. Henry Nicholls has been called up to the side, along with an uncapped pair of Muhammad Abbas and Nick Kelly.
Possible XI: Will Young, Nick Kelly, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Nathan Smith, Will O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears.
The visitors had a disappointing T20 series, where they lost four games and managed to win only once. Pakistan will have their top batting stars – Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan – back for the fifty-over series. Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Wasim also return to the side after missing out on the Champions Trophy. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who played the T20I series, are not part of the ODI leg.
Possible XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Check out the details of where to watch the New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st ODI match.
Five of the last seven matches hosted at this ground were won by the chasing teams. It is The trend should continue, especially with the weather likely to be overcast. Expect the captain winning the toss to choose to bowl first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better picture of the match.
The weather forecast suggests it will be partly sunny in Napier on Saturday morning and afternoon. Rain should not be a big factor in this match with less than a 5% chance of precipitation. The humidity should be around 65%, with wind gusts traveling at upto 28 kmph. Expect the temperature to range between 16 to 20 degrees Celsius.
The bookmakers have New Zealand as heavy favourites to win the first ODI. They have a 64% chance of winning this encounter.
Babar Azam has a poor record against Michael Bracewell in the fifty-over format. He has scored only 40 runs from 75 deliveries and has been dismissed twice.
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