Will Young century – Bhartiyanews24x7

The thousands that thronged Karachi’s National Stadium returned home heartbroken as New Zealand inflicted a crushing blow on the hosts in the Champions Trophy opener. It was not so about the margin of defeat (60 runs when hunting 320) as it was about the manner of the surrender. The lingering feeling would be that they lost not because they were the inferior side, but because New Zealand exuded a streak of clarity and purpose, as they always do, that the hosts couldn’t fathom.There was a bewildering naivety about the defeat, in their inability to seize the moments and deliver the knockout blows, in their shuddering strategies, in their lack of exigency plans, or in their sheer stage fright. The enormity of the occasion, big-ticket cricket returning to the country after nearly three decades...

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. Story continues below this ad 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...

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Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s bewildering naivety leads to morale-crushing defeat against New Zealand

PAK vs NZ: Is Kiwis’ score of 320 further proof that Champions Trophy will be dominated by batters?