CHRISTCHURCH – Pakistan secured a victory in the final T20I of a five-match series against New Zealand in Christchurch, avoiding a whitewash with a 4-1 outcome.
The Green Shirts had faced heavy defeats in the initial four games at the hands of the Black Caps.
Iftikhar Ahmed, a part-time offspinner, delivered an outstanding performance with career-best figures of 3-24. The weakened New Zealand batting lineup 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, as Pakistan showcased their best bowling display of the series, taking the last eight wickets for just 39 runs.
Lowest T20I total successfully defended in New Zealand 👏
Pakistan finish the T20I series on a high with a 42-run triumph in Christchurch. New Zealand claim the series 4-1.#NZvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/oKlVYNjhhL
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 21, 2024
Mohammad Nawaz, the left-arm spinner, 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.
New Zealand faced the challenge without three key batters—Kane Williamson (knee injury), Devon Conway (Covid-19), and Daryl Mitchell (rested).
Initially, it seemed that the home side 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 impact early on 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.
