New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I: New Zealand is all set to take on Pakistan in the 2nd T20i match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday (January 14). The Kiwi’s currently lead the five-match T20i series by a margin of 1-0 after they managed to defeat Pakistan in the first game by 46 runs.
The Black Caps were asked to bat first by Pakistan’s new skipper, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and the hosts put on a solid display with the bat. Opener Devon Conway was dismissed by Pakistani skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi for a duck, but Finn Allen and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson stitched a partnership of 49 runs for the second wicket before the former was dismissed by Abbas Afridi. All-rounder Daryl Mitchell came into bat at number 4 and, after his arrival, Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson (57 runs in 42 balls) took over on one end, and on the other end, Mitchell (61 runs in 27 balls) started with his assault. The duo managed to build a partnership of 78 runs for the third wicket, but Williamson was dismissed by Abbas Afridi. Mitchell’s knock of 61 runs and Mark Chapman’s` innings of 26 runs in 11 balls, along with the cameo of Glenn Phillips (19 runs in 11 balls), allowed the Kiwi’s to reach an outstanding total of 226 runs in their 20 overs.
Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-46), Haris Rauf (2-34) and debutant Abbas Afridi (3-34) were the best bowlers for Pakistan, while Aamer Jamal (0-55) and Usama Mir (0-51) didn’t pick up any wickets.
In reply to the target of 227 runs set by New Zealand, Pakistani opener Mohammad Rizwan (25 runs in 14 balls) and Saim Ayub (27 runs in 8 balls) started off and built a 33-run partnership before the latter was run out by Kiwi Seamer Adam Milne. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan played a decent knock of 25 runs in 14 balls before giving away his wicket to Tim Southee in the 5th over of the second innings.
Babar Azam (57 runs in 35 balls) took his time to settle down in the middle, but he changed gears and brought up his 31st half century in 33 balls. But the required rate kept on increasing, and the 29-year-old, in the hopes of keeping Pakistan in the chase, got dismissed by youngster Ben Sears. After the dismissal of Babar, the Men in Green couldn’t do much and got all out for 180 runs in 18 overs.
For the Kiwi’s, Tim Southee was the best bowler of the night, as he finished the game with figures of 4-25 and even became the first bowler in the history of cricket to pick up 150 T20 international wickets. The Kane Williamson-led Black Caps would like to continue with their good form in the second T20i and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
On the other hand, the Men in Green, under the leadership of newly appointed skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, would be looking to make a comeback and level the five-match series. Pakistan dropped a lot of catches in the first game, so they would like to improve in terms of fielding.
Match Information
Tour: Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand
Match: Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd T20i
Date: January 14, 2024
Day and Time: Sunday, 11:40 am IST
Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
Pakistan vs New Zealand Head 2 Head Record in T20 Internationals
Pakistan and New Zealand have played 35 T20i matches against each other, but Pakistan have the advantage as they have tasted success in 20 games against the Kiwis, while the Black Caps have managed to win in just 14 games. One match ended without a result due to rain.
- Number of Matches played: 35
- Matches won by Pakistan: 20
- Matches won by New Zealand: 14
- Matches Abandoned: 1
Pitch Report
The pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton is expected to be a batting-friendly pitch and should provide assistance to the seamers. Seamers would get a good amount of swing and seam from the pitch. The spinners can come into play in the late stages of the game. 179 runs is the average first-inning score at this venue.
Weather Forecast
No rainfall is expected to interfere with the match, and the fans will get the opportunity to enjoy the whole match. The temperature is anticipated to be around 24 degrees Celsius, while the wind speed is expected to be around 10 km per hour
Predicted Playing 11 of both teams
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain), Mohammad Nawz, Abbas Afridi, and Haris Rauf.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (WK), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (Captain), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Mark Chapman, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, and Ish Sodhi.
Suggested Dream11 Fantasy Team No. 1 for PAK vs NZ
Wicket Keepers: Devon Conway, Mohammad Rizwan
Batters: Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Finn Allen and Saim Ayub
All-rounders: Daryl Mitchell
Bowlers: Haris Rauf, Tim Southee, Adam Milne and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Suggested Dream11 Fantasy Team No. 2 for PAK vs NZ
Wicket Keepers: Devon Conway, Mohammad Rizwan
Batters: Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips
All-rounders: Daryl Mitchell
Bowlers: Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Adam Milne and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Captain and Vice – Captain Options
Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell and Tim Southee
Read: 2 Changes Pakistan might make for the 2nd T20I against New Zealand; Check Out For Full Details
Visit the ICC Official Website for more details