Hasan Nawaz was handed ODI debut in the first ODI against West Indies and after showing some nerves initially and taking time to settle down, he grew into the innings and played a match-winning knock. Hasan Nawaz showed his power in the T20I series against West Indies and even showed glimpses against Bangladesh as well. But here he showed maturity on debut to take Pakistan over the line.
Hasan Nawaz came into bat at the fall of Salman Ali Agha’s wicket at 158/4 in 30.4 overs. Salman fell for 23 while captain Mohammad Rizwan fell for 53 with the score at 180/5 and in some trouble were Pakistan. But Nawaz on debut showed his maturity as a senior partner and put on 104 unbeaten stand for the 6th wicket. Talat also chipped in with 41* off 37 balls, but Hasan Nawaz was the star with his 63* off 54 balls and guiding the side home with 7 balls left.
Hasan Nawaz’s Match Winning Knock Flattens West Indies
There were a few eyebrows raised when Pakistan handed a debut cap to Hasan Nawaz and the other Nawaz i.e. Mohammad Nawaz was sidelined from the game despite having a good T20I series. The pitch aided the spinners as they were hard to get away but Pakistan went with one specialist spinner and two part-time spinners who did a decent job in their spells. But it was high time that Nawaz proved a point on his debut and he did so with flying colours.
Pakistan were lacking a finisher down the order and looking at Hasan Nawaz’s show on debut he could be the finisher Pakistan needs in ODIs. He came into bat at Number 6 with the score reading 158/4 in 30.4 overs as Pakistan were chasing 281 for the win. Nawaz came in and started slowly and wasted balls to increase the asking rate. That put pressure on the in batter Mohammad Rizwan the captain and he fell soon after for 53 off 69 balls. When Rizwan fell, Pakistan were 180/5 in 37.2 overs and in need of a partnership.
That is where Hasan Nawaz showed his prowess with the bat and accelerated at the right time. He took the game deep and played the perfect role of a senior partner in the partnership. On debut, Nawaz got to his half-century and was unbeaten on 63 off 54 balls while Talat played the perfect supporting role of scoring 41 off 37 balls as Pakistan got over the line with 7 balls to spare. Nawaz showed his big hitting talent in the shortest format and was in full view in the ODIs as well.
Hasan Nawaz’s Prospects For Pakistan In ODIs
Hasan Nawaz is into the nascent stages of his International Career. He made his debut against West Indies in this particular game. And he has started with a bang scoring 63 runs unbeaten and getting his side over the line. In the T20Is he has shown his prowess as he strikes at 175.65 in the shortest format. This was not only his first ODI game but also his first List A game. Even his First Class numbers are in its early stages. He is more of a T20 veteran at this stage trying to make a mark in ODIs.
But he could be the finisher in ODIs that Pakistan needs. For a long time, Pakistan lacked a finisher in ODIs as the team was overdependent on Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Saim Ayub. Ayub missed out while Babar fell for 47 and Rizwan for 53. But the man who successfully finished the innings was Hasan Nawaz. He was ably supported by Hussain Talat as both took Pakistan home calmly from a desperate situation. That will be the biggest positive for Pakistan going forward in this series and beyond that they chased down 280+ with two new players finishing things off for them.
It will be interesting to see whether Nawaz can carry the form forward in the remaining two games and be consistent as a finisher as batting at 6 requires that talent and he has that. We have to wait and watch to see whether Nawaz given another chance successfully finishes the game for Pakistan. But he has the ingredients and talent to succeed at this level.
What Lies Ahead
Pakistan have gone 1-0 ahead in the 3-match series against West Indies. They will look to seal the series in the next game itself which will be on Sunday 10th August 2025 at the same venue in Tarouba. This will now be a day game with the match slated to start at 7:30 PM IST.
So, can the hosts West Indies bounce back from this heart-breaking loss and keep the series alive and garner crucial points? Or will Pakistan with renewed confidence after this game wrap the series in the second game itself? Find out soon as the match happens on Sunday with everything to play for both the teams.
Also Read: WI vs PAK: Struggling West Indies Face Off With Inconsistent Pakistan In ODIs