Abu Dhabi November 1: After recording a comprehensive 3-0 win against Australia, the Sarfraz Ahmed led Pakistan scraped home to a two run win against New Zealand in the first of the three T20I matches played at the Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan bowlers held sway with a hugely impressive bowling performance defending their 148 run total.
Left-Arm-Spinner Imad Wasim had another good game with the ball despite conceding 16 runs to Colin Munro (58 off 42 balls) in the third over of his spell. Imad’s economy rate of 5.93 per innings is amongst the best for a spinner operating in Power Play overs (Minimum 100 balls.)
As indicated by the CricViz graph, Imad is one of the three Pakistanis on the list (Saeed Ajmal 4.93, Mohammad Hafeez 5.54 the other two.)
Fast bowler Hasan Ali provided Pakistan the breakthrough with his ever improving slower ball; the slower ball to Munro didn’t yield good results as it was deposited into the stands for a six but the one to his opening partner Glenn Philips (12) sent him packing.
The CricViz graph indicates the variation in line and speed between the two Hasan slower ones.
Pakistan succeeded in choking the run-rate in the middle overs of the innings after the flyer provided by Munro and Phillips. Hasan finished with three wickets while Hafeez and Shadab conceded a mere 39 runs in the seven combined overs bowled by them.
Shaheen Afridi defended the 17 needed off the last over, the left-armer conceded 14 runs as Pakistan recorded their seventh consecutive win, the World Number One T201 team now has an astounding tally of 15 wins in their last 16 T20Is.
Earlier, Pakistan’s total revolved around contributions by Hafeez (45) and Sarfraz (34), Asif Ali promoted to number three in the batting order scored 24 off 21 balls.
The Black Caps backed their pace bowlers in the Power Play overs with Adam Milne and Tim Southee preferring the shorter length.
The seamers were consistently short during the first six overs. Only one ball pitched fuller than 6m from the batsman's stumps. Their average length of 8.6m is the second shortest recorded by Black Caps in the Power Play passage of a T20I match as illustrated by the CricViz graphic.
The second match of the series will be played at the Dubai International Stadium tomorrow.
