New Zealand defeated Pakistan in the second ODI by 84 runs to win the series

Mitch Hay delivered the career-best innings by scoring 99 not out. His innings took New Zealand to 292 runs on a fast bowler-friendly pitch. Pakistan got off to a poor start while chasing and lost five wickets for only 32 runs. Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah made fifties but were unable to prevent the loss.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl. There was grass on the pitch and the sky was overcast, which aided the fast bowlers. But Pakistan's bowlers were not able to take benefit as New Zealand made 50 runs in the initial six overs. Haris Rauf removed the first wicket by sending Nick Kelly back. Mohammad Wasim Jr arrived late in the attack but sent Rhys Mariu back. Later, Pakistan's bowlers played more effectively. Sufiyan Muqeem bowled effectively and picked two wickets for 33 runs. He troubled the New Zealand batsmen and restricted the scoring rate.

New Zealand struggled in the middle overs and lost wickets quickly. However, Hay and Muhammad Abbas established a crucial partnership. They played cautiously and took their time. Their partnership scored 77 runs before Muqeem got Abbas out. Later on, Hay gained full dominance of the innings. He performed nicely with the lower-order batsmen and ensured New Zealand utilized all 50 overs. During the final over, Hay got 22 runs against Wasim Jr. He could not finish his century but his contribution enabled New Zealand to set up a robust total.

Pakistan required a huge effort to chase the target but their top-order batsmen disappointed. Ben Sears, Jacob Duffy, and Will O'Rourke bowled excellently. They were getting movement from the pitch and troubling the Pakistan batsmen with bounce. Pakistan's top five batsmen got dismissed without scoring much. The bowlers also hit them on the body quite a few times. Pakistan lost half of their team for just 32 runs and the fate of the match was almost sealed.

Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah attempted to stage a comeback. Naseem was brought in as a concussion replacement when Rauf got hit on the helmet. They contributed 60 runs for the ninth wicket. Ashraf got dismissed but Naseem hit some shots and took Pakistan to 200. Even 200 seemed out of reach at one stage. But Pakistan still lost heavily because they were not good in the first 15 overs. Sears was New Zealand's top bowler with five wickets. Duffy also picked up well and took three wickets.

New Zealand won comfortably in the end and won the series. They performed better in every department. Hay's performance with the bat and Sears' bowling were the reasons for the victory. Pakistan will need to improve if they want to come back strong in the next match.