As Pakistan defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets, Haris Rauf shines
With a five-wicket win in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, Pakistan got “revenge” on New Zealand for a recent off-field snub. Pacer Haris Rauf led a clinical bowling display with a superb four-wicket haul before Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali’s attack. Except for opener Mohammad Rizwan (33), Pakistan’s top-order hitters struggled, but the veteran Malik (26 not out off 20 balls) and number seven Ali (27 not out off 12) flourished towards the end with a 48-run sixth-wicket partnership to carry Pakistan home with eight balls to spare. Pakistan won for the second time in a row, following their comprehensive 10-wicket triumph over India on Sunday.
The New Zealand squad had recently withdrawn from a scheduled series against Pakistan after arriving in the nation, alleging a security danger that the host country claimed did not exist.
Captain Babar Azam (9) and Rizwan made a good start in chasing 135 for a win, but as the chase went, they struggled to obtain the runs and boundaries. Azam was not as fluent as he had been against India, and he was dismissed in the sixth over, bowled by Tim Southee, who took his 100th wicket in T20 Internationals.
Pakistan was struggling for runs at this point, reaching 30 for 1 at the end of the power play, and they received another boost when one-down Fakhar Zaman (11) was trapped LBW by Ish Sodhi in the ninth over. Pakistan reached 58 for 2 at the halfway mark when former captain Mohammad Hafeez hit James Neesham for a six as soon as he came out.
But he was bowled in the next over, with Devon Conway taking a superb diving catch on the boundary lines off Mitchell Santner’s bowling. Rizwan, who had scored 79 not out against India, was trapped LBW by Sodhi in the 12th over, bringing New Zealand back into the contest. Trent Boult took his first wicket by dismissing Imad Wasim (11) in the 15th over, after a couple of reasonably calm overs.
But, thanks to Malik and Asif Ali, Pakistan changed the game’s script from there. In the 17th over, Ali clobbered Southee for two consecutive sixes to turn the game in Pakistan’s favour.
In the next over, Malik blasted a six and a four, before Ali lit up the Sharjah sky with a six and hit the winning runs — a two — to help Pakistan reach 135 for 5 in 18.4 overs.
Rauf had earlier led Pakistan’s bowling attack with four wickets, limiting New Zealand to a small total. The Kiwis were in big difficulty after being asked to bat against a disciplined Pakistani bowling attack, with openers Daryl Mitchell and Conway leading the way with 27 each and captain Kane Williamson providing 25.
New Zealand only had one significant partnership, with Mitchell and Martin Guptill’s 36-run opening stand being their best (17). Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Hafeez each claimed one wicket.
Afridi, who upset India’s top-order in Pakistan’s triumph, got the swing in the first over, which was a maiden. Mitchell, on the other hand, hit a four in his second over, which yielded eight runs. As New Zealand attempted to seize control, Mitchell lifted Hasan Ali for a six.
They couldn’t escape the power play unscathed, however, as Rauf uprooted Guptill’s timbers after the ball deflected off the batter’s pads.
Mitchell paid the price for going for one too many as he holed out to Fakhar Zaman on the ropes in the ninth over after slamming a six off Imad. New Zealand reached 60 for three at the halfway mark as new batsman James Neesham was out for 1 in the next over off Hafeez.
The Kiwis stepped up their game and scored 25 runs in the 12th and 13th overs, with Williamson hammering Hafeez for sixes and fours and Conway clobbering Shadab Khan for three consecutive boundaries. The Kiwi batting took a turn after Williamson was run out in the 14th over when the bails were dislodged by Hasan Ali’s superb direct throw from his own bowling.
New Zealand only got to 100 runs in the 15th over, and Conway and Glenn Phillips (13) were both out in the 18th over, bowled by Rauf, in the space of three balls.