New Zealand v Pakistan, 1st T20I: 5 Talking Points

After a one-sided affair in the ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand, the teams played the first T20 International at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The Black Caps carried forward their rich vein of form and thumped Pakistan by a comprehensive margin of seven wickets.

Pakistan wished to shed the disappointment of the ODI series and start the series with a new zeal and vigour. However, they stumbled and eventually succumbed to some outstanding cricket by the hosts. As we analyse the teams’ performances, let’s take you through five of the top moments from the game.

1. Pakistan’s horrendous power-play with the bat

Pakistan got off to a shaky start as New Zealand dictated terms to them in the power-play. Seth Rance commenced proceedings with a decent over. However, wickets fell in heaps from the second over onwards following which Pakistan never garnered any momentum inside the field-restricted overs.

Fakhar Zaman went for an ugly hoick off Tim Southee, but spooned a simple catch to Anaru Kitchen at cover. Mohammad Nawaz was promoted to number three and he survived an almighty scare as Ross Taylor dropped him in the slips. He ran out of luck as Rance nipped him out in his second over.

Prior to that, Umar Amin became Southee’s second victim as another Pakistan top-order batsman perished to an erratic stroke. Anaru Kitchen, thereafter, got rid of Haris Sohail and Pakistan ended with 24/4 after six overs.

2. Mitchell Santner turning the screws

After a mediocre power-play, Pakistan needed someone to hold fort and shepherd them to some sort of respectability. However, the visitors slumped further as Mitchell Santner picked up wickets in back-to-back deliveries.

Sarfaraz Khan needed to play a captain’s knock, however, Santner dismissed him with a slow and loopy delivery. The Pakistan skipper tried to play a sweep shot, but the extra bounce bamboozled him. Subsequently, he completely lost his balance and Glenn Philips took off the bails in a flash.

Shadab Khan has shown decent skills with the bat in the ODI series and was required to come to the party for Pakistan. However, he lasted for only a solitary delivery as Santner picked up his second wicket in the tenth over.

3. Babar Azam and Hasan Ali’s rescue-act

With the score at 53/7 after 13.5 balls, Pakistan were clearly looking down the barrel for a below-par total. Babar Azam has been fantastic for the Men in Green ever since his debut and was required to dish out another performance to bail Pakistan out of jail.

He expertly staved off the Kiwis bowlers and dished out a useful knock of 41 runs off 41 balls. He set up a handy partnership of 30 off 17 balls with Hasan Ali to inject momentum into Pakistan’s innings. Meanwhile, Hasan Ali manufactured hit some lusty blows as well.

He raced away to 23 runs off 12 balls, which included three humongous sixes, two of which came off Seth Rance. After Ali’s dismissal in the 17th over, Babar Azam added some important runs for his team and also took Pakistan over the 100-run mark.

4. Rumman Raees striking early for Pakistan

In order for Pakistan to defend the modest target of 106, Pakistan needed early wickets. New Zealand’s batsmen have been in prime form over the past few months and were in with an opportunity to chase down the target in a canter.

However, Rumman Raees snared Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips early to set the cat among the pigeons in the Kiwis camp.Guptill became the left-arm pacer’s first victim as he unsuccessfully tried to pull the ball and spooned it into the hands of Mohammad Nawaz.

Glenn Phillips played a false stroke and found his stumps rattled of an inside-edge. Meanwhile, the Karachi-born fast-bowler got Pakistan off to a great start with the New Zealand score reading 8/2 after 3.2 overs.

5. Colin Munro’s scintillating run of form continues

Colin Munro has hit a purple patch in limited-overs cricket for New Zealand over the past few months. Quite recently, he raced away to his third century in T20 Internationals against Bangladesh, India and West Indies respectively.

He replicated his majestic touch against Pakistan at the Westpac Stadium as he played another useful knock of 49 runs off 43 balls. After New Zealand lost a couple of early wickets, the onus lied on Munro to get the run-chase back on track for the Kiwis and he did it expertly.

He employed an unflustered approached and ensured that New Zealand breach the target without many hiccups. He came to own during the second-half of his knock and smashed a couple of boundaries to with three massive sixes. Meanwhile, he stayed not-out till the very end.

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