Pakistan go 4-0 up and become No. 1 ODI team after 102-run win

Karachi: Pakistan beat New Zealand in the fourth One Day International Match by 102 runs at Karachi Stadium on Friday. Pakistan, after beating Kiwis, went up and beceme No. 1 ODI team in the international ranking.

Earlier, Babar Azam's 18th ODI hundred pushed Pakistan to set 335 in the fourth One Day International match against Kiwis at Karachi Stadium on Friday.

 Across an innings where the Pakistan captain also became the quickest player to 5000 ODI runs, Pakistan's batters - especially Babar and Agha Salman - were in control for the most part on a flat wicket.

7️⃣0️⃣ runs in the final five overs 💥

Pakistan post 334-6 following @babarazam258's stellar ton and the death overs blitz 🏏#PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/fg1ci8XdCo

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 5, 2023

However, New Zealand, spearheaded by Matt Henry, punctured Pakistan regularly enough with wickets to ensure the total wouldn't get completely out of hand. But very late Mohammad Haris and Shaheen Afridi fireworks saw to it that the huge platform Pakistan's middle order had set would end up happening after all.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡!

A recap of @iShaheenAfridi's glorious striking in the last over 🦅💪#PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/tBNtBXkuDc

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 5, 2023

Pakistan rung the changes after having sealed the series on Wednesday, and Shan Masood - who replaced Imam-ul-Haq, guided Pakistan through the powerplay with characteristic ease. Henry removed Fakhar Zaman early with a similar delivery to the one that got him the previous game, the back of a length ball miscued high into the air to allow Blundell to collect.

The innings continued to cruise on autopilot through a 50-run, ten-over stand between Masood and Babar Azam, before sharp work behind the stumps from Blundell saw the opener fall to Ish Sodhi. With Pakistan's reliance on the top order well-known now, the fall of Mohammad Rizwan after a Henry direct hit caught him short will have given Pakistan the wobbles. But in that moment of slight adversity, Agha Salman would rise magnificently.

Exquisite with the sweep and reverse sweep, as well as commanding in his use of footwork, he would allow Babar to take a back seat as he cranked through the gears. Before long, New Zealand were on the back foot once more, and a straight six of McConchie brought up a 40-ball half century for Agha, as well as the hundred partnership between the two men.

Babar had blended into the background but he still eased past 50, as he always seems to do in this format now. By the time Henry pouched a stunning return catch to dismiss Agha, Babar was just 12 away, and once more content to let Iftikhar Ahmed take the lead.

He watched from the other end as the 32-year-old assembled an entertaining cameo - 28 off 22 - before a tickle through the offside brought up three figures in 113 balls. But when he holed out to deep midwicket to give Ben Lister his first wicket, Pakistan had got stuck somewhat, with two overs to go and still not past 300.

Haris and Afridi would remedy that with devastating effect, plundering 38 off the final two overs to make up for lost time, as well as making compelling cases to bat higher up the order. But four sixes and two fours between them off those final 12 balls meant they'd done enough to give Pakistan hope of keeping a clean sweep alive this series.