Pakistan and New Zealand will face each other in the 4th T20 of the ongoing series on 23rd March at Bay Oval.
Match Preview:
Since 2018 it is the very first time that Pakistan has an ideal chance to win the series in New Zealand. With a new-look T20 side, Pakistan did what many thought was impossible.
Hassan Nawaz after scoring two ducks in a row, ended up scoring a match-winning century for his side scoring the fastest century by any Pakistani in the format. Mohammad Haris showed the sign of comeback and the new captain Salman Ali Agha played a well-crafted knock of 51 off 31.
While the Auckland gives fair margin and advantage to the batters due to the small boundaries, Pakistan bowlers did a great job that Michael Bracewell had to say their side was “10-15 runs short”
The pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abbas Afridi bowled well and took 7 wickets combined.
The performance was so good that Salman ended up tweeting and said his side is a “winner side”
“My boys aren’t just here to make up the numbers. This is an inexperienced team but it’s a winning team if you back them. It’s your team,if you give them the support they need. Alhamdulillah for the win, much needed in keeping the series alive. Very very well played Hasan and Haris”
Talking about New Zealand, it was a one-off day for them where the batting unit could not make the mark. Barring Mark Chapman and Barcewell, none of the batters could impress. Probably, if it wasn’t for Chapman the New Zealand could not have scored 204 as well.
Chapman will be the key player for the side given how he has performed despite not playing the format regularly. Nevertheless, Will O’Rourke can make a comeback given Kyle Jamieson won’t play the rest of the T20 series, and given Rourke’s performance in the Champions Trophy he can trouble the Pakistani batters.
Pitch and weather report:
Since 2020, the Bay Oval has seen an average first-innings score of 176. Notably, teams batting first have dominated, winning four of the last five completed matches at the venue. Sunday’s forecast indicates partly cloudy skies, but no rain interruptions are expected
Probable Playing XI:
New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Jimmy Neesham, 6 Mitch Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Zakary Foulkes/Will O’Rourke, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Ben Sears
Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Abbas Afridi, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Haris Rauf
Head-to-head record:
New Zealand and Pakistan have faced off in 47 T20Is, with Pakistan holding the upper hand, winning 24 matches. New Zealand has secured victory in 21 encounters, while two games ended with no result.
Prediction:
Pakistan are favourites to continue their winning momentum moving to the 4th T20 of the series.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, Ten Sports,
New Zealand: TVNZ+
India: SonyLiv app and website
Others: CricHD
