Attacking Shehzad lays solid platform

25 overs Pakistan 119 for 2 (Shehzad 66*, Younis 21*) v New Zealand


A calculated assault from Ahmed Shehzad compensated for a slow start and the loss of two wickets at the halfway stage in Pakistan's innings. A miserly opening spell from Kyle Mills had cramped Pakistan's usually fluent openers but timely risks from Shehzad and slip-ups from New Zealand's seamers following the early wicket allowed the visitors to build a strong foundation for a challenging score.

Ross Taylor's decision to field was justified given the overcast conditions and Mills kept one end locked up with a nagging line outside off stump and extracting movement both ways. He varied his pace, slipping in the occasional offcutter, and derived good bounce from a favourable track that prompted a cautious approach from Shehzad and Hafeez. There was also some frustration for the batsmen when a couple of deliveries doled out on the pads, and shots that were struck firmly, found the fielders. Hafeez, technically correct, usually solid and fresh from a maiden ODI century, uncharacteristically spooned a wide one from Mills to mid-off to hand New Zealand the early initiative.

Shehzad, however, was determined to pull things back. Things were significantly easier at the other end where Hamish Bennett overpitched too often, and was met with boundaries off the last ball of his first two overs to ease any pressure. Following Hafeez's wicket, Shehzad decided to turn the tables on Mills, stepping out to counter his tight lines and swatting him through mid-off and slogging over midwicket. The counter-attack caught the bowler off guard, and he faltered by slipping one onto the pads in his next over to be glanced to the fine-leg boundary.

Shehzad then turned his attention to Jacob Orab, who provided the batsman enough width to allow him to free his arms. And the pressure was on New Zealand when Kamran Akmal drove and cut Bennett for consecutive boundaries, and Shehzad dispatched him, again off an overpitched delivery, the last of the over, over long-off.

New Zealand hit back when Kamran attempted an improbable single, was sent back and caught short by a direct hit from Mills. Five boundary-less overs followed with Younis and Shehzad warming up for a rebuild but New Zealand's bowlers erred yet again with their lines, offering plenty of width, for Shehzad to notch up his half-century and press on.

Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo
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