Cricket

'Isme bhi India ki koi saazish hogi' - Fans react as 30-yard markings had to be redone mid-game in Pakistan vs New Zealand second ODI

In a hilarious mid-game incident, the 30-yard circle markings had to be redone in the second ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand.

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Daniel S
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Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI

Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan and New Zealand will square off against one another in five one-day internationals (ODIs) at the former's home following a five-match T20I series that ended in a 2-2 draw. Pakistan won the first ODI and will aim to build on that success in the follow-up match. On the other hand, the Kiwis will seek to recover from the setback in the second ODI played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

There have been 112 ODIs between the two nations, with Pakistan holding a slim 57-50 edge. Four games had no outcome, and 1 game finished in a draw. Pakistan has chosen to bowl after winning the toss in the ongoing second ODI of the series. However, a specific incident during the opening overs of the game caught the eyes of fans worldwide.

Pakistan lead the five-game ODI series vs New Zealand 1-0

It was later realised that the game had started with the 30-yard circle being marked wrong. Mid-game, the on-field umpires, ground officials and the Pakistani fielders themselves were seen redoing the markings correctly. The incident has sparked reactions from fans worldwide; naturally, the Pakistan Cricket Board and administration have been trolled brutally on social media.

Naseem Shah's phenomenally economical bowling performance and Fakhar Zaman's tenth ODI century enabled Pakistan easily defeat New Zealand by five wickets in the opening ODI at Rawalpindi. The 500th ODI victory gave them the second-fastest team to reach the milestone after Australia, who did so in 811 games, and they were the third team to do so while doing so. After a 124-run opening stand between Fakhar and Imam-ul-Haq, Pakistan did not have a chance to fall short of their 289-run victory requirement. Babar Azam scored 39 runs as the team's captain, and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan made an instant impact lower in the order. They reached the finish line in the 49th over, leading the five-match series 1-0.

New Zealand attained 288 by virtue of Daryl Mitchell's second ODI century. With Will Young, whose individual score of 86 came off just 78 balls, a century second-wicket stand had laid the foundations for a total above 300. However, the visitors were kept in check with Pakistan's excellent death bowling and inability to hit long balls. The primary cause for this was Naseem, who was most metronomic at the start and conclusion of the innings. With a finish of 2 for 29 in the 10 overs, he was reassured that New Zealand wouldn't score in excess of 300 runs despite appearing on pace for most of the innings.

Here's how fans reacted:ย 

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