Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023

'Kabhi khushi kabhi gham' - Fans react as Pakistan lose No. 1 ODI spot in 48 hours after losing to New Zealand in final encounter

Pakistan slipped to third place in the ODI rankings after losing to New Zealand in the final match of the series on Sunday.

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Akshay
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PAK vs NZ 5th ODI

PAK vs NZ 5th ODI (Source: Twitter)

PAK vs NZ 5th ODI PAK vs NZ 5th ODI (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan lost their No 1 spot in the Men's ODI team rankings in less than 48 hours after losing to New Zealand in the final clash of the five-match series. The Men in Green claimed the top position for the first time in history after defeating the Black Caps in the fourth ODI, but their joy was short-lived as they failed to whitewash the series in Karachi on Sunday, May 7.

The Babar Azam-led team hammered NZ by 102 runs in the 4th ODI on Friday, leapfrogging India and Australia to clinch the top ODI spot. However, the Kiwis put up a spirited effort in the series finale on Sunday and won by 47 runs to send Pakistan back to third place with 112 points. Australia leads the way with 113 points, while India is second with 113 points as well.

Iftikhar's heroic knock in vain

Batting first, New Zealand posted a respectable total of 299 in 49.3 overs, thanks to Will Young's magnificent half-century and a collective contribution from their middle orders. The right-handed opener hit 87 off 91 balls, and skipper Tom Latham was the visitors' second-highest scorer with 59 runs. Shaheen Afridi was superb with the ball, taking three wickets for 46 runs, while Usama Mir and Shadab Khan each took two.

Chasing a target of 300 runs, the hosts did not get off to a good start, losing Shan Masood and Babar in the seventh and eighth overs. They also lost a few wickets in the process, but a solid partnership between Agha Salman (57 off 57) and Iftikhar Ahmed brought them back into the game. Henry Shipley picked up his third wicket by dismissing Salman and after that Pakistan's innings was all about Iftikhar. The 32-year-old remained unbeaten on 94 but ran out of partners to cross the finish line as they were eventually bowled out for 252.

After winning the series 4-1, captain Babar admitted that it was a brilliant series but they did not get the result they wanted. "It was a brilliant series, but didn't finish it the way we wanted," he said.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Pakistan's defeat in the final ODI against New Zealand:

Pakistan New Zealand PAK vs NZ