Daijiworld Media Network
Dubai, Dec 5: New Zealand were comprehensively beaten yesterday, with Sarfraz stealing the show at the end. But, it was the Pakistani bowlers, who did the real damage. Their death bowling didn't allow the Black Caps to accelerate in the last five overs and they ended up with just 135 on the board.
Pakistan batters didn't disappoint as Sarfraz, who carried his bat through till the end, notched up 76. He along with Umar Akmal, finished things with the first ball of the final over. However, the Kiwis will look to bounce back and take some momentum into the ODI series. Adam Milne was quite impressive with the ball, bowling at high speeds and registered a top speed of 152.1kph. Can the Kiwis come back like the way they did in Tests? We will find out soon.
Pitch Report: 'It's a fabulous Friday in Dubai and the weather is pretty much like yesterday. There is just a bit of scarring on the surface, it is the same surface that was used yesterday. It's devoid of grass, pace off the ball is good, but you'd like to bowl first on this track. It's a beauty,' reckons Danny Morrison.
Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field
Afridi: 'We will bowl first. Maybe the dew will be a little bit more in the second innings, but we are not going to experiment too much. I am confident that the batsmen will do well. Awais Zia and Mohammad Irfan make way for Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Gul. I am happy that Gul is coming back.'
Williamson: 'Pakistani captains are very good at winning the toss. We need to put up a better performance. Latham, Mills, Vettori and Brownlie come in. Quite a bit of changes tonight, we are batting deep.'