Pakistan Clinch Thrilling Victory, Level T20I Series 2-2 Against New Zealand

Team Pakistan (Photo: Pakistan Cricket/ X)

Asif Iqbal | April 28, 2024 | 08:31 AM IST | Cricket, Sports | Tags: Cricket, New Zealand, Pakistan team, Sports | Follow on Google News

Pakistan Clinch Thrilling Victory, Level T20I Series 2-2 Against New Zealand

Pakistan Clinch Thrilling Victory, Level T20I Series 2-2 Against New Zealand

In a thrilling encounter at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, Pakistan clinched a nine-run victory over New Zealand in the final match of the five-game T20I series. With the series ending 2-2, Pakistan emerged triumphant in the second and fifth matches, while New Zealand claimed victory in the third and fourth encounters. Unfortunately, the first game in Pindi was called off due to rain. Babar Azam’s impressive 69 off 43 balls, supported by a late surge from Fakhar Zaman, propelled Pakistan to a competitive total of 178. Once again, star pacer Shaheen Afridi proved pivotal for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets for 30 runs and turning the game in their favor in the 15th over.

In pursuit of the 179-run target, New Zealand faced early setbacks courtesy of Afridi’s brilliant first over, which saw Tom Blundell departing to an exceptional delivery. However, Tim Seifert quickly shifted momentum in favor of the Black Caps, aggressively taking on Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir with a flurry of boundaries. Usama Mir eventually dismissed Seifert in the ninth over after a quickfire 52 off 33 balls. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, New Zealand continued their aggressive approach, with Josh Clarkson providing late resistance. Nonetheless, Clarkson couldn’t guide his team to victory, and New Zealand fell short by nine runs.

Earlier, Pakistan, opting to bat first, posted a challenging total of 178/5, thanks to captain Babar Azam’s sublime 69 off 44 balls. Fakhar Zaman also contributed significantly in the latter part of the innings, maintaining his form from the previous match, finishing with 43 runs off 33 balls, including five boundaries.

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