WATCH: Disappointed Pakistani fans leave stadium after Babar Azam is dismissed for 64 runs

Pakistan’s hopes of mounting a fierce chase with the bat against New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy. The hosts had to chase down a massive target of 321 runs to win. All the hopes for the home fans was on former skipper Babar Azam who battled the odds to score his half-century. 

In the final ball of the 34th over, Mitchell Santner got the wicket of Babar Azam caught by Williamson for 64 runs. New Zealand skipper enticed Babar to go for a big shot across the line but the Pakistani batter couldn’t time the ball well. Kane Williamson settled under the ball and completed the catch to give the Kiwis a huge wicket. 

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Crowd goes when Babar Azam out. 💔🥺#BabarAzam𓃵#ChampionsTrophypic.twitter.com/AJUa29hGtW

— Sadia Rajpoot 🌙 (@SADIY56) February 19, 2025

Once the wicket fell the cameras panned to the crowd who ha started making their way off the ground. Fans had come in droves to watch Babar bat and the former skipper didn’t disappoint. The 30-year-old played few delightful shots and got to his 35th ODI fifty in the first ball of the 31st over. 

New Zealand bowlers keep the pressure on the home side 

Saud Shakeel was sent in as the opener and the left-handed batter perished for just six runs. William O Rourke induced an upper edge of Shakeel’s bat that went straight to the third-man region and Matt Henry completed an easy catch. 

Glenn Phillips then pulled off a stunning grab to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan for three runs. Fakhar Zaman who was injured earlier in the game came out to bat at number four and was out for 24 runs from 41 balls. This brought Salman Agha to the crease who began to go after the Kiwi bowling. 

Nathan Smith got the key wicket of Salman Agha for 42 caught by Michael Bracewell. The next man out was Tayyab Tahir who scored one run before mis-timing a shot to give Santner his first wicket of the game. The Kiwis had batted first and scored 320 on the board thanks to centuries by Tom Latham and Will Young with Glenn Phillips scoring a quickfire fifty.