Pakistan Beats New Zealand By 88 Runs In First T20.
April 15, 2023
New Zealand is still in the series despite Iftikhar Ahmed’s futile 60 off 24
April 19, 2023Pakistan Vs New Zealand Second T20 Match
With 38 runs, Pakistan defeated New Zealand. Although it wasn’t quite as much of a mismatch as the game on Friday, the result was never in doubt. Pakistan was propelled to 192 thanks to a lavish Babar Azam century, currently second only to Chris Gayle in the T20 format. While Pakistan recorded another total well over average, Babar was helped by a half-century from Mohammad Rizwan and a valuable unbeaten 19-ball 33 from Iftikhar Ahmed.
With a terrific opening combination, Babar and Rizwan more than made up for their shortcomings from yesterday. They took three overs to get going, but once they did, they brilliantly caught up throughout the first half of the innings, scoring at a pace of approximately ten per over during their 99-run stand. After that, Pakistan’s momentum was endangered by a string of wickets, but an uninterrupted 87-run partnership between Babar and Iftikhar in 43 balls kept Pakistan in control once more.
In response, New Zealand gave a better account of their skills than they did in the first game, with Mark Chapman’s elegant half-century leading the pursuit. He batted an undefeated 40-ball 65 in what was mostly lone resistance, displaying both his technical skill and long-range hitting, keeping his side’s spark alive until the final three overs.
But, it was impossible to stop the damage Haris Rauf was causing at the other end. He backed up his career-best performance from yesterday night with another brilliant effort, destroying the middle order of New Zealand and putting an end to any fledgling pursuit with figures of 4 for 27. Pakistan cruised to a 38-run victory when Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan put an end to the chase at the very end. Chapman then won the game with a superb six-over cover.
Midway through Pakistan’s innings, similar to yesterday, there was a blip, and like to yesterday, it was sparked by Matt Henry. Following Pakistan’s quick start, Henry bowled a vital 11th over that resulted in one run being scored and two wickets being lost. The first to leave was Rizwan, who botched a slog shortly after bringing up his half-century. Fakhar Zaman was then forced to chop one back onto his stumps as Henry found himself on a hat-trick for the second game in a row. To prevent the fast bowler from completing consecutive hat-tricks, Saim Ayub held his first ball out, but New Zealand found themselves in the lead.
For Ayub, Rachin Ravindra only needed one more ball to dismiss him, forcing him to hole out at deep midwicket. At this moment, Pakistan was unable to stop the bleeding as Imad Wasim feathered Jimmy Neesham through to the keeper in the subsequent over. In just two overs, Pakistan had lost four wickets for just six runs, and New Zealand had roared back into the match.
Final-overs excitement
Babar, as is his way, slowed down a bit after the powerplay, so not even his staunchest supporters entertained thoughts of the Pakistan skipper scoring a ninth T20 century. Babar still needed 35 runs to win with three overs left, but Henry’s penultimate over saw him reach the 80s with two sixes and a four. Nevertheless, Babar was denied the strike, and a clever penultimate over from Ben Lister appeared to have once again shattered his aspirations. With the final four balls of the inning remaining, he was still 15 away, and Gaddafi started dreaming once more.
The audience had been roused into a frenzy by the time Neesham was powered back over mid-off for six and Babar moved into the 90s. He hit another over mid-off for four to win it by seven runs with two balls remaining. He would also save his greatest shot for last, a magnificent drive over cover that soared to the boundary and brought up the most improbable of his nine hundred, almost as if it were scripted. Lahore roared beside him as he swayed back and let out a roar.
Haris Rauf destroys the middle order
New Zealand would have had a real chance if Chapman had someone to keep him company at the other end, but Rauf ensured that wouldn’t be possible. Following a tentative third-wicket partnership with Will Young, the highlight of which was a 95-meter Chapman six off Shadab Khan, Babar resorted to Rauf for the wicket he desired.
The fastest bowler for Pakistan more than complied with his captain’s request. He forced Young to hole out to Shadab Khan with his fourth ball back due to his superior pace, but he was just getting warmed up. He added two more wickets to his total in his third over. The speed was too much for Daryl Mitchell to handle at first, so he delivered a bouncer to new man Neesham, who could only divert it to Shaheen Afridi at mid-off. Moreover, Rachin Ravindra was helpless against Rauf’s cunning as the young all-rounder launched an off-cutter straight to the deep midwicket to put an end to New Zealand’s battle.
Conclusion
The Pakistan cricket team defeated the New Zealand cricket team in the second T20 match held on September 20, 2021, with a 38-run victory. The match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, and was characterized by some outstanding individual performances. Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, hit an excellent century, which helped Pakistan reach a score of 192. This was complemented by a half-century from Mohammad Rizwan and an unbeaten 33 from Iftikhar Ahmed, which proved valuable in the end.
New Zealand’s reply was led by Mark Chapman’s half-century, but he lacked support from the other batsmen, and the New Zealand innings eventually folded for 154 runs. The highlight of Pakistan’s bowling performance was Haris Rauf’s excellent performance, who took four wickets for 27 runs in his four overs. Overall, the match was an entertaining affair that saw some excellent cricket being played by both teams.
Pakistan’s innings got off to a good start with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scoring runs quickly. The opening duo scored at a rate of nearly ten runs an over in the first half of the innings, putting Pakistan in a strong position. However, the middle-order collapse meant that Pakistan was in a precarious situation at one stage, but Babar’s excellent century, along with Iftikhar Ahmed’s valuable contribution towards the end, helped Pakistan reach a competitive total of 192.
In response, New Zealand got off to a decent start, but it was Mark Chapman who emerged as the standout performer for them. He played an excellent inning, hitting a quick-fire half-century that kept New Zealand in the game. However, he lacked support from the other batsmen, and as wickets kept falling at regular intervals, it became clear that New Zealand was unlikely to chase down the target.
Pakistan’s bowling was led by Haris Rauf, who put in a match-winning performance, taking four wickets for 27 runs in his four overs. His bowling was too much for the New Zealand batsmen to handle, and his pace and accuracy helped Pakistan restrict New Zealand to a total of 154.
Overall, Pakistan’s victory was a convincing one, and they outplayed New Zealand in all departments of the game. Babar Azam’s century was the standout performance of the match, but credit must also be given to Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Haris Rauf, who all played crucial roles in the victory.
