At Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, hosts New Zealand won the opening match of their five-match T20I series against Pakistan by a commanding nine wickets on Sunday.
Pakistan’s batting order was completely destroyed by a superb bowling performance by Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, and Ish Sodhi, which held them to just 91. In response, the Kiwis easily reached 92/1 in 10.1 overs, chasing down the mark.
The Men in Green had a terrible start after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. They lost their first three wickets in the first three overs. After edging Jamieson to wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay, Mohammad Haris was the first to leave without scoring. Then came Hasan Nawaz, who was dismissed for duck by Duffy in the second over.
Irfan Khan, Jamieson’s second victim in the third over, too made no noteworthy contribution. After six overs, the scorecard read 14/4, and Pakistan’s problems continued when Shadab Khan was removed in the fifth over. Salman Agha, the captain, attempted to steady the innings with an 18-run effort before losing to Sodhi.
With a maximum score of 32 from 30 balls, including three sixes, Khushdil Shah was the lone batter to display some tenacity. At the other end, though, he found little help as wickets kept falling. With statistics of 4/14 from his 3.4 overs, Duffy was the best bowler, and Jamieson concluded with 3/8 from his four overs. With two and one wickets, respectively, Sodhi and Zakary Foulkes helped the visitors get out for 91 in 18.4 overs.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, the openers for New Zealand, gave the team a strong start as they chased a score of 92. After the pair put on 53 runs for the first wicket, Seifert left after scoring 44 off 29 balls, including seven boundaries and a six.
With 29 runs off 17 balls, Allen stayed undefeated, and Tim Robinson made a cameo of 18 runs. With a triumph with 59 balls remaining, the hosts easily reached the mark in 10.1 overs and took a 1-0 series lead. Because to his outstanding bowling performance, Jamieson was named Player of the Match. Dunedin will host the second Twenty20 International on March 18.
India
