Pakistan's chase of 293 in the second ODI against New Zealand turned into a nightmare as their top order crumbled under relentless pressure from the Kiwi pacers. In a catastrophic start, the visitors slumped to 32/5 in 11.4 overs, virtually ending any hopes of a successful chase. Among the early casualties was former captain Babar Azam, whose prolonged struggles with the bat have become an increasing concern.

New Zealand’s bowlers came out with fire, exploiting assistance from the surface. Jacob Duffy and his fellow Kiwi pacers rattled Pakistan's top order, dismantling their backbone in the blink of an eye. The dismissals began early, but it was Babar’s fall that deepened Pakistan’s woes.

Babar Azam, once the bedrock of Pakistan’s batting lineup, lasted just four balls before falling for a mere run in the fourth over. Coming in at a 7/1 after Imam-ul-Haq’s departure, all eyes were on Babar to anchor the innings. Instead, he became another victim of New Zealand’s incisive bowling, undone by an absolute beauty from Duffy.

Duffy, bowling at 135.1 kph, delivered a back-of-a-length ball outside off stump that jagged away sharply. Babar, tentatively prodding at it from the back foot, failed to account for the movement. A faint edge was all it took for Henry Nicholls at second slip to complete the dismissal, sending shockwaves through the Pakistan dressing room.

Here's how fans reacted as Babar failed again:

Pakistan faced further setbacks in their run-chase, with Tayyab Tahir falling on 13 and Mohammad Wasim Jr. scoring only 1; at the time of writing, the side was reeling at 97/7 at the halfway mark in the chase.

New Zealand’s innings

The hosts set a challenging target of 292/8, largely thanks to an impressive unbeaten 99 from Mitchell Hay. The middle-order batsman took control during the latter stages of the innings, hitting seven sixes and an equal number of fours in his 78-ball performance. Sufiyan Muqeem emerged as Pakistan's top bowler, achieving figures of 2/33, while Mohammad Wasim Jr also contributed with two wickets.

Unfortunately, Pakistan's bowling efforts were ultimately futile as their batting lineup collapsed. With Babar's ongoing struggles and a lack of a clear strategy for improvement, Pakistan finds itself in a state of crisis.

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