New Zealand clinches T20 series with dominant win over Pakistan
Dunedin, Jan 17: in the third and final T20 match held in Dunedin, New Zealand secured victory over Pakistan by defeating them by 45 runs, thereby claiming the series. Pakistan commenced their batting pursuit with a target of 225 runs set by New Zealand.
Despite a challenging start, opener Saud Ayub couldn't provide a solid foundation and was dismissed after scoring only 10 runs. Partnering batsman Mohammad Rizwan contributed 24 runs, while skipper Babar Azam fought valiantly to complete his fifty, ultimately falling at 58 runs.
Fakhar Zaman scored 19, Azam Khan 10, Mohammad Nawaz 28, and Iftikhar Ahmed managed only 1 run before being dismissed. Shahin Afridi scored 16, and Mohammad Wasim remained not out at 1 run. New Zealand's bowlers, including Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Ish Sodhi, each secured a wicket.
Before this decisive match, Pakistan won the toss and opted to field in the first innings. New Zealand's team, facing a designated 20 overs, posted a total of 225 runs at the expense of 7 wickets. Opener Finn Allen dominated with 137 runs, entertaining the crowd with an impressive performance, but he fell victim to Zaman Khan.
New Zealand's contributions included Devon Conway (7), Tom Seifert (31), Daryl Mitchell (8), Glenn Phillips (19), Mark Chapman (1), and Mitchell Santner (4), while Matt Henry (1) and Ish Sodhi (3) remained unbeaten. Pakistan's captain, Shadab Khan, struggled to make an impact, securing only one wicket in four overs, and Zaman Khan claimed one wicket.
