Pakistan Escaped a Whitewash In The Final T20I Against New Zealand

(CTN News) – Pakistan emerged victorious in the final Twenty20 International match of the five-match series between them and New Zealand at Christchurch on Sunday, escaping a 4-1 defeat.

Black Caps won all four games they played against the Green Shirts, thrashing them in the process.

As a weakened New Zealand batting lineup struggled to keep up with the turning ball, and were skittled for their eighth-lowest T20 score of all time, part-time offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed claimed career-best figures of 3-24.

Only opener Finn Allen (22) and Glenn Phillips (26) passed 20 as Pakistan claimed the last eight wickets for 39 runs in their best bowling performance of the series, as they easily won the series.

As the series drew to a close, left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (2-18) was effective with the new ball, removing Rachin Ravindra and Will Young cheaply, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, who took 2-20 in his maiden series as captain, provided some cheer at the end.

There was a lack of three of New Zealand’s first-choice batters for the game: Kane Williamson (knee injury), Devon Conway (Covid-19) and Daryl Mitchell (rest).

In the earlier part of the game, it appeared the home side had done enough to push for a clean sweep when they restricted Pakistan’s batters with another disciplined display of bowling.

The seamers Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson all claimed two scalps, while spinner Ish Sodhi also claimed two scalps.

The highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, Southee (2-19), dismissed the debutant Haseebullah Khan in the opening over and came back in the 13th over to dismiss Fakhar Zaman, the dangerous batsman who had made 33 from 16 balls.

The top-scoring batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, left the field immediately following the first innings start, scoring 38 off 38, leaving Pakistan with the lowest first-innings score of any team in the series.

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