Match Report – PAK vs NZ 4th T20I, April 25, 2024

New Zealand 178 for 7 (Robinson 51, Foxcroft 34, Abbas 3-20) beat Pakistan 174 for 8 (Fakhar 61, O’Rourke 3-27, Sears 2-27) by 4 runs

Pakistan saved the sport alive until the final ball, although, because of Imad Wasim. A cagey closing over from Jimmy Neesham, by which he needed to defend 18, ended with Pakistan needing six of the ultimate ball, and a scythed blow behind level was not sufficient to tug off the heist.

New Zealand did lose their method on the loss of life as Imad and Amir did nicely, however the effectivity of their bowlers confirmed that that they had put up nearly sufficient to maintain Pakistan at bay.

Abbas Afridi makes his case

Pakistan rung within the adjustments within the fast-bowling division, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah each lacking out. In got here Amir, however it was Abbas who stood out, bowling a few of the hardest overs and coming away with each credit score and wickets. After a primary over the place New Zealand focused him within the powerplay, he returned and supplied a direct much-needed breakthrough because the explosive Robinson miscued him into the night time sky.

For some motive not known as upon for his full quota, Abbas’ closing over – the penultimate one of many innings – was the decide of the bunch. A mixture of cutters, exhausting lengths and excellent yorkers noticed Abbas take two and concede simply 5 as New Zealand continued to be dragged again. Abbas’ figures of three for 20 probably left Babar Azam questioning why he hadn’t used him for the total 4.

Shadab Khan takes a stunner

It is maybe on-brand for Shadab Khan’s status as an allrounder that regardless of not bowling a single supply for the primary time in a accomplished T20I innings, he was answerable for essentially the most spectacular Pakistan contribution within the subject. It happened within the 14th over of the New Zealand innings, when Mark Chapman – Pakistan’s bete noire on excursions like these – slapped one over the pinnacle of huge mid-off. Or so he thought. Shadab moved to his left and flung himself into the air with feline-like lethality. The velocity of the ball knocked his proper hand off as he held on to it along with his left. It took a disbelieving crowd just a few moments to register what had occurred, however it hampered New Zealand’s death-overs push.

Sears and O’Rourke maintain their very own

There is a Tremendous Smash really feel to the New Zealand squad in Pakistan, and that was notably true of the seam-bowling duo of Sears and O’Rourke. Sears had performed ten T20Is earlier than this tour whereas O’Rourke was but to make his debut, however the pair was instrumental in halting Pakistan’s early cost from the get-go.

Whereas Pakistan focused Jacob Duffy, O’Rourke struck in his first over, drawing Babar into a canopy drive, and the additional bounce noticed him paddle it to cover-point on the total.

He additionally dismissed the opposite opener, Saim Ayub, who was put down within the first over.

Sears saved New Zealand plugging away as he prised out Usman Khan to depart Pakistan in hassle. The pair’s capacity to maintain the runs quiet on the identical time allowed Michael Bracewell to show to them at any time when stress wanted to be utilized, a motif that continued proper by the innings. The pair was introduced later, and gave their captain the wickets of Iftikhar and Zaman to kill the sport off, combining for figures of 8-0-54-5.