Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten century as New Zealand won the third and final one-day international in Karachi on Friday by two wickets to win the series.
Phillips hit four sixes and as many fours in his 63 off 42 balls to rescue New Zealand from a precarious 181-5 position in their pursuit of a 281-run target. Pakistan scored 280-9 in 50 overs thanks to his knock, which outweighed Fakhar Zaman’s 101.
Phillips and Mitchell Santner, who combined for 17 runs in a match-winning partnership, added 64 runs for the seventh wicket when Phillips entered the field with New Zealand needing 100 runs off 87 balls.
Devon Conway struck a steady 52 and skipper Kane Williamson contributed with 53, and Phillips completed the chase with 11 balls remaining.
Phillips scored his first ODI fifty in just 28 balls, but wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan missed a catch-off spinner Usama Mir and dropped him the next ball.
With their victory, New Zealand maintained their lead in the one-day rankings and won their first ODI series in Pakistan in six attempts.
Williamson, whose team has won seven of their last eight ODI series, stated, “He (Phillips) wasn’t feeling great but he came out and played with a lot of freedom.”
“I made a few mistakes, but I thought we were in the game at the halfway point. Glenn’s ability to play that knock and Pakistan’s merit as well. The series was fought hard.
Babar Azam, captain of Pakistan, stated: It appeared that we would reach 300 when Rizwan and Fakhar played, but it is difficult for new batters when wickets fall.
Williamson’s team has won seven of their last eight ODI series
“We couldn’t quite execute with the ball in the last ten overs.”
Williamson, whose team has won seven of their last eight ODI series, 52 runs for the third, and 51 runs for the fourth, but New Zealand lost four wickets in 45 runs.
Conway was bowled out by offspinner Agha Salman (2-42), and Mitchell was caught by a bad reverse sweep to end the two partnerships. For the fourth wicket, Williamson was run out.
Zaman, the opener, laid the groundwork for a strong Pakistan total.
After Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, the left-hander hit 10 fours and one six.
In a 154-run third-wicket partnership with Rizwan, Zaman lifted Pakistan from 21-2 with a polished 77 with six boundaries.
Pakistan started poorly, losing Shan Masood without scoring and Azam, the highest-ranked ODI batsman in the world, for just four runs.
In the seventh over, Tom Latham off-spinner Michael Bracewell stumped Azam, who had two half-centuries in the first two games.
Zaman took a sharp single to reach his eighth hundred, his first three-figure ODI score in Pakistan. He was left to rebuild the innings.
Ish Sodhi, a leg spinner, bowled Rizwan to break the stand, while Zaman was run out trying to steal a quick single.
Tim Southee, a New Zealand seamer, finished with 3-56, and Salman gave the innings some late momentum by hitting 45 off 43 balls.