Champions Trophy first impressions: Babar Azam needs to seize the momentum, like Khushdil Shah did | Cricket News

New Zealand beat Pakan 60 runs to make a strong start to their Champions Trophy campaign. It leaves Mohammad Rizwan’s team in a perilous position to qualify for the semifinals in a ICC tournament they are hosting after nearly three decades. Here are two key first impressions each from the match in Karachi.
Will Young makes the most of it
New Zealand’s Will Young celebrates after scoring century during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakan. (AP)
If Kane Williamson was fit and available, he might not have played a Test in India last year. But Will Young, as the cliche goes, grabbed his chances with both hands, and emerged as the Player of the Series as New Zealand sealed a horic whitewash. So much so that he was left out of the Test XI when the former captain returned fit for a home series against England. At CT, if Rachin Ravindra was fit, perhaps NZ would have been forced to rethink Young’s place in the first XI. But with the left-hander still out, Young scored a superb century to set the base of NZ’s 320 in the tournament opener. It is a classy knock that should likely seal his place at the top for the remainder of NZ’s campaign.
Glenn Phillips flies again
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips attempts to stop the ball during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakan. (AP)
If it was another fielder, one would perhaps put it down as a one-off. But when Glenn Phillips dives on a cricket field, you almost expect improbable catches to be taken. He has made it a habit around the field, but Phillips’ flying behind square is now a fielding genre of its own. On Wednesday in Karachi, Phillips had already made his impact lower down the order with the bat. He is a handy bowler too (and has kept wickets in the past as well). But if there is a cricketer in the world at the moment who can make it to a playing XI purely on his athleticism in the outfield, it is Phillips. He reiterated that with a stunning catch to dismiss Pakan’s most dangerous batter at the moment, Mohammad Rizwan. “We kind of expect that from Glenn,” captain Mitch Santner said with a knowing smile at the end.
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Babar Azam’s painful knock
Pakan’s Babar Azam reacts as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakan. (AP)
Mohammad Rizwan rued the fact that they didn’t have the right momentum at the backend of the bowling innings and at the start of the chase, the latter due to Fakhar Zaman’s unavailability to bat for a stipulated amount of time, due to an injury he picked up in the afternoon. It was only compounded the fact that Babar Azam was on 12 off 27 balls after the first 10 overs, with Pakan on 22/2. It wasn’t even a case of accelerating after getting set, as Babar didn’t score a single boundary between overs 15.1 and 32. His final strike rate of 71.11 was nowhere near enough for Pakan.
Khushdil Shah offers hope
Pakan’s Khushdil Shah bats during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakan. (AP)At one stage it looked like Pakan would suffer a massive defeat that would severely dent their net run rate. But the run-rate graphs for Pakan got close to New Zealand’s when Khushdil Shah was smashing it around the park for his 69 off 49 balls. With his 10 fours and a six, the left-hander scored five more runs than Babar in just over the half number of deliveries faced. It briefly gave Pakan some hope but more tangibly, at least ensured the NRR didn’t take a heavier beating. In this tournament’s format, that could have made the night even worse for the hosts. Khushdil just didn’t get the same platform that Phillips got earlier in the day from NZ’s top-order batters.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assant Editor and is based in New Delhi. … Read More