Auckland-Pakistan needed 205 runs to win the third T20I and remain alive in the five-match series as New Zealand amassed 204 runs at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday,
Haris Rauf took three wickets by giving away 29 runs, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abbas Afridi and Abrar Ahmed got two wickets each.
The whole New Zealand team was bowled out on the penultimate ball of their innings with Mark Chapman hitting a swashbuckling knock of 94 runs off 44 balls studded with four sixes and 11 fours.
Though Pakistan won the toss in the third T20I but story of their bowlers getting hammered by New Zealand batters was the same.
Almost every Pakistani bowler was thrashed heavily as the hosts punished them freely.
Opener Tim Seifert hit 19 runs off nine balls, but Mark Chapman was the masterblaster for New Zealand.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first in the third T20I against New Zealand being played at Eden Park in Auckland.
This is going to be the last chance for Pakistan to salvage the five-match series against New Zealand who had already won the first two encounters.
New Zealand have been ruthless in their performances so far, crushing Pakistan in both matches. Under Michael Bracewell’s leadership, they have displayed exceptional form with both bat and ball.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl in the third Twenty20 against New Zealand in Auckland on Friday as they bid to stay alive in the five-match series.
New Zealand made one change from the side that won the second game of the series by five wickets in Dunedin on Tuesday to go 2-0 up, recalling Kyle Jamieson in place of fellow-seamer Zac Foulkes.
Jamieson took three wickets when New Zealand won the opening match by nine wickets in Christchurch.
Pakistan’s two changes were both to their bowling attack and included handing a T20 debut to Abbas Afridi.
Seamer Afridi and legspinner Abrar Ahmed replace seamers Jahandad Khan and Mohammad Ali.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (capt), Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears
Pakistan: Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Abdul Samad, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Umpires: Sam Nogajski (AUS), Shaun Haig (NZL)
TV umpire: Chris Brown (NZL)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Pakistan’s struggles and hope
Pakistan entered the series with high expectations, but weak performances left the team on the back foot. Pakistan’s bowling has been disappointing.
Captain Salman Agha has been the only reliable performer, while Shadab Khan and Khushdil Shah have shown glimpses of form, but the rest of the batting lineup has collapsed under pressure.
Shaheen Afridi has struggled to find his rhythm. Haris Rauf showed promise in the second match but needs more support.
New Zealand’s dominance
Despite missing key players due to Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments, the Black Caps have been uncompromising.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen have been in sublime form at the top, ensuring that Pakistan never gets a chance to apply pressure. Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy have spearheaded the pace attack, while Ish Sodhi has been lethal with his leg spin.
Duffy has already picked up six wickets in the series, troubling Pakistan’s batters with his movement. With New Zealand firing on all cylinders, they look set to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
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