In the five-match T20I series against Pakistan, New Zealand has an unbeatable 3-0 lead thanks to a remarkable innings by Finn Allen. With New Zealand scoring a robust 224 on the scoreboard, Along with Hazratullah Zazai, his 16 sixes were the most in an innings in T20I history. Finn Allen displayed brutal power-hitting and was in a beast mode during his magnificent knock of 137 runs in 62 balls and struck 5 fours and 16 sixes.
Pakistan failed miserably to chase the total, losing by 45 runs and giving up the series. Allen broke the 12-year-old record set by former captain Brendon McCullum to post the greatest individual score for New Zealand in T20I cricket.
Pitch Report and Toss Update
The cricket ground at University Oval is a batting paradise, enabling players to score a lot of runs. Nevertheless, with skilled swing and movement, bowlers may exert pressure in the first few overs. Shaheen Afridi, the captain of Pakistan, decided to bowl first, which appeared to backfire as the game progressed.
New Zealand got off to a positive start
After just two overs, Pakistan’s choice to bowl first seemed to have didn’t work as Finn Allen unleashed a barrage of sixes against Shaheen Afridi. Despite Devon Conway falling early, New Zealand stunned the visitors by making up ground in the last over of the powerplay. After six overs, Allen took Haris Rauf for three sixes and two fours in an over, leading New Zealand to a score of 67.
With a couple of tight overs from Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr., they were able to temporarily restore some harmony, but Finn Allen quickly broke free once more. After being hit for a six that went 107 meters, Nawaz was hit for another six over deep midwicket.
The Finn Allen Show
New Zealand had 103 runs at the halfway mark and appeared to be well on their way to surpassing 200. Pakistan did not expect Allen to hit with such intensity. At the other end, Tim Seifert was merely a spectator as the opening took command.
After conceding 23 runs this time, Finn Allen smacked Rauf for two more sixes that traveled over 100 meters, welcoming him back into the bowling assault. Allen quickly reached his second T20I century as he carried on destroying Pakistan’s bowling assault.
Five fours in Finn Allen’s 137 off 62 were hardly the high point of the knock. No matter where the ball was pitched to him, he seemed to prefer the leg side, as seen by the 13 sixes he hit and the 95 (69%) runs he scored there.
Pakistan’s poor bowling performance
Pakistani bowlers kept bowling short of a length even with the new ball, which helped Finn Allen set the stage for his memorable innings. Zaman Khan removed him in the 18th over after his accurate-length ball, which lacked pace, ultimately put an end to the havoc of Finn Allen. With Glenn Phillips adding 19 off of 15 balls, the hosts finished with 224 for 7.
Rauf was quite expensive, giving up 60 runs in his four overs despite taking two wickets. All the other bowlers in the Pakistani team took one wicket each but kept leaking runs at almost 10 runs per over.
Continuing his excellent form, Babar was the lone guy standing for Pakistan
Following Saim Ayub’s early wicket loss, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam put together a 39-run partnership to put the visitors back in the game. Even though he got off to a strong start, Rizwan was unable to make his innings matter, as he was bowled out by spinner Mitchell Santner in the eighth over, having scored 24 runs off of 20 deliveries.
Babar recorded his third consecutive half-century in this series and looked good once again. Nevertheless, Fakhar Zaman (19), Azam Khan (10), and Iftikhar Ahmed (1) continued to fall wickets around him, failing to make much of an impact on the scoreboard.
Pakistan kept losing wickets as the required run rate kept increasing
Babar Azam attempted to step it up as the required run rate increased, but in the 16th over, spinner Ish Sodhi got the wicket of him. After making 58 runs off of 37 deliveries, including eight boundaries and one six, he departed.
Towards the end of their innings, Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi made impressive cameos, scoring 28 off 15 and 16 off 11, respectively, but they were unable to help their team cross the finish line. After 20 overs, the visitors could only muster 179 for 7, 45 runs short of the required total.
While Pakistan will attempt to prevent the hosts from winning, New Zealand won the series and will now be looking at the whitewash. The fourth T20I match is scheduled for Friday, January 19.
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