PAK vs NZ: Top 10 funny memes after Pakistan's crushing loss against New Zealand
Pakistan suffered a disappointing 79-run loss against New Zealand in the second ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday, January 11. The three-match series is now leveled at 1-1.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and interestingly chose to bat first. Williamson's pitch-assessing skill was once again on point as the surface kept assisting spinners more as the game progressed. The visitors also bought in extra spinner Ish Sodhi for the game, which turned out to be a masterstroke in the end.
Courtesy of a magnificent century from Devon Conway (101 off 92 balls), New Zealand reached a respectable score of 261 in the first innings. Williamson (85) played the perfect supporting role by anchoring the innings. Mitchell Santner (37) added the finishing touches in the death overs. Mohammad Nawaz (4/38) and Naseem Shah (3/58) were the picks of the Pakistan bowlers.
In response, Men in Green got off to a poor start. They lost wickets of both openers for just nine runs in 3.3 overs. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (28 off 50 balls) went into a shell and played defensively, trying to weather the storm.
The plan backfired big time as the New Zealand spin trio Santner, Bracewell, and Sodhi bowled tight lines relentlessly and did not allow the batters to break free. The pressure created by them eventually triggered a middle and lower-order collapse.
Babar Azam (79 off 114 balls) waged a lone battle but could not score at a healthy rate, due to which the required rate kept increasing exponentially. Tom Latham's clever stumping in the 43rd over ended Babar's resistance and sealed the fate of the game.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Babar reflected on the loss, saying:
"We lost wickets early, and that is what we did wrong. When Rizwan and I were batting, we were trying to build a partnership. When Agha Salman came to the crease, he stepped the game further and tried to increase the scoring rate. New Zealand's bowlers were on top of the game, and full credit to them. We will be prepared to face them on Friday."
Fans react after New Zealand's spin trio rattle Pakistan batters in the 2nd ODI
Cricket fans on social media enjoyed the 2nd ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand. They expressed their reactions through engaging memes on social media.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
Statpadder Babar Azam tried and tried and tried to get to his century but failed.
#PAKvNZ #PakvsNZ
#PAKvsNZ #BabarAzam #INDvsSL #INDvSL #ViratKohlišµ https://t.co/NUqEA2OebD
The two teams will next face each other in the 3rd ODI on Friday (January 13) at the same venue.