Fine start fades; NZ undone by Pakistani spin
AUCKLAND: The Black Caps have butchered a glorious chance to open their season with a statement victory.
Chasing 149 for victory against Pakistan in their opening Twenty20 clash in the United Arab Emirates, the Black Caps were superbly poised at 79 for one with 8.3 overs remaining. Then the wheels fell off.
Colin Munro’s dismissal started a slide and Pakistan displayed why it is the world’s best exponent in the shortest format, storming back to claim its 27th victory in its last 31 T20 games.
It won by two runs, the Black Caps having twice had dominant positions overturned.
In their first match under new coach Gary Stead, and their first after a sevenmonth hiatus, the Black Caps made a stellar start, leaving Pakistan scrambling at 14 for two after four overs.
Adam Milne and Tim Southee varied their pace smartly, Ajaz Patel took his first international wicket on debut and when Ish Sodhi’s restrictive spin entered the fray, Pakistan was struggling to maintain a worthy pace.
Complicating matters were the UAE conditions. Knowing that the pitch was low and slow, Pakistan could afford to be patient. Knocks that would usually be little value in the format — 45 off 36 balls from Mohammad Hafeez, 34 off 26 from Sarfraz Ahmed and 24 off 21 from Asif Ali — proved handy as they rebuilt, yet Pakistan still remained short of a truly testing run rate.
New Zealand’s fielding was a big reason for that. Glenn Phillips, Corey Anderson and Southee all claimed stellar catches as they regained ascendancy, but just as it looked as if Pakistan would fall well short of a competitive total, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim blasted 20 off the last seven deliveries to muster 148 for six.
Considering the average first innings at the ground was a mere 139, it was a deceptively challenging total to chase, but Munro looked at ease, underlining his status as one of the best batsmen in the format with a classy knock.
After a sedate start, the swashbuckling opener unleashed, smashing 58 from 42 balls, putting Pakistan in deep conversation. Whatever they discussed, it clearly worked, but perhaps more importantly, New Zealand’s strategy failed.
With eight wickets in hand and big hitters waiting in the sheds, an aggressive approach was needed, but first Kane Williamson (11 off 16) and then Corey Anderson (9 off 12) proved wholly ineffective against the Pakistani spinners.
PAKISTAN
Babar Azam c Seifert b Milne
7 1 24 45 34 8
Faheem Ashraf not out 10
Syed Wasim not out 14
Extras (2lb, 3w) 5
Total (for 6 wkts, 20 overs) 148
Fall: 1/8 (Babar Azam), 2/10 (Sahibzada Farhan), 3/77 (Mohammad Hafeez), 4/93
(Asif Ali), 5/121 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6/123 (Shoaib Malik)
Bowling: A Patel 4 overs, 0 maidens, 27 runs, 1 wicket; T Southee 40300, A Milne 40282 (1w), C de Grandhomme 30241 (1w), I Sodhi 40241 (1w), C Munro 10130
NEW ZEALAND
Sahibzada Farhan c Munro b Patel
Asif Ali c Phillips b de Grandhomme
Mohammad Hafeez c Southee b Milne
Sarfraz Ahmed c Anderson b Sodhi
Shoaib Malik run out (Anderson)
Stead had the right idea in sending out Colin De Grandhomme as a pinch hitter, but he was sold down the river by Ross Taylor, run out by a direct hit after Taylor attempted a ludicrous quick single.
Slowly but surely, New Zealand was smothered by spin, as Hafeez (none for 13 from three overs) and Shadab Khan (one for 26 from four) had the visitors prodding and poking, and the required run rate steadily rising.
Munro credited the Pakistan spin options for keeping the Black Caps batsmen in check, but believed there were plenty of positives to take from the defeat.
‘‘Their spinners came on after the powerplay and squeezed — you have to give them credit, they bowled really well . . . it suited them tonight, and we got outplayed — just. We just couldn’t capitalise through the middle.
‘‘We haven’t played international cricket for a long time but we didn’t show that tonight. There are a few little areas where we can get a bit better, but I thought tonight was pretty good, despite not getting over the line.’’
The difference may have come in how Pakistan utilised the conditions to perfection, bowling straight and slow, and as the pressure increased as Anderson and Taylor’s partnership could add only 34 from 27 balls. Whether they were batting too passively or Pakistan bowlers were simply too good, the result was the same: by the time the last over arrived, 17 runs were still required and late blows from Taylor and Southee were not quite good enough. — NZME
RUGBY