The Pakistani batsman became the first Asian batsman and third overall to score three consecutive half-centuries in a losing bilateral series.
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has returned to form after scoring three consecutive fifties in the first three matches of the T20 series against New Zealand. However, all the efforts of the 29-year-old batsman went in vain as he was not supported by the other batsmen in any of these games. In the process, the No. 4-ranked Pakistani batsman became the first Asian batsman and third overall to score three consecutive half-centuries in a bilateral series loss.
West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran was the first player to achieve this feat against India in 2022, while Serbia’s Leslie Dunbar achieved the feat against Bulgaria in the same year.
It should be remembered that New Zealand won the series by defeating Pakistan in the third T20I. In the third match of the T20 series played in Dunedin, New Zealand won the series by defeating Pakistan by 45 runs.
The batting of the national team continued to fail; Pakistan managed to score 179 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in pursuit of the target of 225 runs. In the third match of the T20 series, Pakistan won the toss and decided to field first. The New Zealand team scored 225 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. K bowlers danced a triple dance, but Zaman Khan managed to take their wicket.
New Zealand opener Finn Allen scored 137 runs off just 62 balls with the help of a record 16 sixes and 5 sixes, Devon Conway 7, Tim Siffert 31, Daryl Mitchells 8, Glenn Phillips 19, Mark Champman 1, Mitchell Santner 4 runs. Made it back to the pavilion. In comparison, Matt Henry scored 1, and Ash Sodhi remained at the crease, scoring 3 runs. On behalf of Pakistan, the captain Shaheen Afridi failed once again and got only one wicket for 43 runs in 4 overs; Zaman Khan also took one wicket.
Haris Rauf proved to be the most expensive bowler of the innings. Chasing the Kiwis’ target of 225 runs, national team opener Saeem Ayub could not give the team a good start and was dismissed for 10 runs; fellow batsman Mohammad Rizwan scored 24 runs while Babar Azam resisted to complete his fifty. And returned to the pavilion on 58 runs.
Fakhar Zaman, 19; Azam Khan, 10; Iftikhar Ahmed, 1. And Mohammad Nawaz, 28, were dismissed; later, Captain Shaheen Afridi scored 16, and Mohammad Wasim remained the wicket-taker. For New Zealand, Tim Southee took 2, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, and Ash Sodhi took one wicket each as Matt Henry proved to be the most expensive bowler with 51 runs.
