Pakistan will look for a confidence-boosting win over New Zealand in their 2nd ODI match on Tuesday.
This ODI match will be both teams' final competitive fixture before the World Cup, and there is little doubt which side heads into it with confidence running through their veins.
New Zealand looked really good in the series against Sri Lanka, and they continued their good form in the first ODI against Pakistan, cruising to a seven-wicket victory after the bowlers – Shahid Afridi's blitzkrieg notwithstanding -- did their jobs pretty well in the first innings.
"Our key is getting all 15 players available and confident heading into that first game [of the World Cup], our focus is not just on the first game against Sri Lanka, it's on the next two months," said New Zealand coach Mike Hesson.
"It's a two month tournament, everyone will want to play the first game, but if they miss out, they have to be ready for the second.
"Have things gone to plan? Probably uncomfortably so, yes. We're tracking really nicely but we still have one more international and a couple of warm up games before that first game, and I understand the focus is always on that first game, but our focus is very much on being on top of things for a couple of months.
"New Zealand have looked formidable with both bat and ball, with their quicks doing the business with the cherry in hand, while the batsmen have stop up to the test whenever required.
The depth of the Kiwi batting in particular has been impressive, and it will be that batting strength that Pakistan will need to replicate if they are to finish off their official World Cup preparations – there are a couple of arm-up games to come – in the best possible manner.
The men in green's bowling remains their strength, and the New Zealand players were giving rave reviews to Mohammad Irfan, who troubled the batsmen every now and then with his pace and bounce.
"Yeah, there were a few ice bags out! He certainly hits the bat hard, to call it trampoline bounce is fair, considering where he releases the ball from, he poses different questions than other players around the world," said Hesson of Irfan.
One batsman who could miss out on facing Irfan one last time before the World Cup is Kane Williamson, with the ridiculously in-form right-hander, who missed the first match, a major doubt for the 2nd ODI with a shoulder problem.
Where to Watch Live
The 2nd ODI match is scheduled for a 2 pm local time (6.30 am IST, 1 am GMT) start with no live TV coverage in India. Viewers in Pakistan can catch the action live on Ten Sports and PTV Sports with the live streaming options available on Ten Sports live and PTV Sports live.
Audience in New Zealand can catch the match live on Sky Sport or live stream the action on Sky Go NZ. Watch the match live in the UK on Sky Sports 2 or via live streaming online on Sky Go.
Audience in the US can catch the game on ESPN while the match can also be live streamed on Watch ESPN. Viewers in Australia can catch the match on Fox Sports while the game can also be watched online via live streaming on Fox Sports Live.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the action live on OSN Sports or via a live stream on OSN Play. South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers will be able to catch the game live on SuperSport or SuperSport online.
