PAK vs NZ: Is Kiwis’ score of 320 further proof that Champions Trophy will be dominated by batters?
If the 2025 Champions Trophy had been expected to be won by the batters, a reminder of why that may be the case was served on the opening day itself.
Put into bat first after Pakistan won the toss, New Zealand’s total reached 320 for 5, after a well-paced first innings, led by centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, in Karachi on Wednesday.
It was the sixth 300+ score in the last nine ODI innings played on Pakistani soil after the recent tri-series between these two teams and South Africa. Across those four matches, there had been five hundreds and 15 50+ scores.
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That trend is not new either. Since 2021, according to ESPNCricinfo, Pakistan has been home to the highest batting average in ODIs (35.53) in the world.
“Although the totals might s...