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In Christchurch, Pakistan secured a much-needed victory in the final T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand, preventing a whitewash and concluding the series with a 4-1 outcome.
Having faced significant defeats in the initial four games at the hands of the Black Caps, the Green Shirts showcased a remarkable turnaround in the final match. Part-time offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed delivered an outstanding performance, achieving career-best figures of 3-24. The New Zealand batting lineup, already weakened, struggled against the turning ball, resulting in their eighth-lowest T20 total. In the batting department, only Finn Allen (22) and Glenn Phillips (26) managed to cross the 20-run mark. Pakistan’s bowling display in this match was their best of the series, as they took the last eight wickets for just 39 runs.
Read more : New Zealand Secures 3-0 Series Lead, Defeating Pakistan In T20I
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz played a crucial role with figures of 2-18, removing Rachin Ravindra and Will Young early on. Shaheen Shah Afridi, concluding his maiden series as captain, contributed with 2-20. The absence of three key New Zealand batters—Kane Williamson (knee injury), Devon Conway (Covid-19), and Daryl Mitchell (rested)—posed a challenge for the home side.
Initially, it appeared that New Zealand would achieve a clean sweep as they restricted Pakistan’s batters with disciplined bowling. Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Ish Sodhi all claimed two wickets each. Southee, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket, made an early impact by dismissing debutant Haseebullah Khan in the opening over and later removing the dangerous Fakhar Zaman in the 13th over. Mohammad Rizwan, the top-scorer for Pakistan, departed for 38 off 38, leading to the lowest first-innings score by either team in the series.
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