Sharjah, Oct 26: Pacer Haris Rauf led a clinical bowling display with an excellent four-wicket haul before Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali’s onslaught as Pakistan took “revenge” on New Zealand for a recent off-field snub with a five-wicket win in the T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.
Most of the top-order batters, except for opener Mohammad Rizwan (33), struggled but the experienced Malik (26*) and number seven Ali (27*) flourished towards the end with a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket to take Pakistan home with eight balls to spare.
Chasing 135 for a win, captain Babar Azam (9) and Rizwan made a decent start but they were finding it difficult to get the runs as the chase progressed.
Azam was bowled by Tim Southee, who got his 100th wicket in T20 Internationals. Fakhar Zaman (11) was trapped LBW by Ish Sodhi in the ninth over.
Mohammad Hafeez hoisted James Neesham for a six as soon as he came out as Pakistan reached 58 for 2 at the halfway mark. But, in the next over, he got out with Devon Conway taking a stunning diving catch near the boundary ropes off the bowling of Mitchell Santner.
Rizwan was then trapped LBW by Sodhi in the 12th over.
Trent Boult got his first wicket by getting rid of Imad Wasim (11) in the 15th over. But from there on, Pakistan changed the script of the match, courtesy Malik and Asif Ali.
Pakistan needed 44 runs from the final five overs and in came Ali who clobbered Southee for two consecutive sixes in the 17th over to tilt the match in his side’s favour.
Malik hit a six and a four in the next over before Ali set the Sharjah sky on fire with a six and hit the winning runs – a two – to take Pakistan to 135 for 5 in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rauf spearheaded the bowling with four wickets as Pakistan restricted New Zealand to a modest total.
The Kiwis were in all sorts of trouble after they were invited to bat in the face a disciplined Pakistani bowling attack with opener Daryl Mitchell and Conway top-scoring with 27 each and captain Kane Williamson contributing 25. (PTI)
