New Zealand and Pakistan will square off in the final T20I of the five-match series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday, January 21. The hosts have a 4-0 lead and will look to complete a series whitewash.
After taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, New Zealand clinched the fourth T20I by a margin of seven wickets and extended their winning streak against the Men in Green. Chasing the target, New Zealand bounced back from an early collapse, courtesy of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
Batting first, Pakistan put up a total of 158 runs in 20 overs at the loss of five wickets. The visitors lost their opener Saim Ayub in the second over and Babar Azam followed him to the dugout soon after the powerplay. It was Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten knock of a 63-ball 90 that helped the side get to a decent total.
New Zealand’s start to the chase was terrible, as top-order batters Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Will Young were dismissed within three overs of the powerplay, scoring a combined total of 12 runs. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips scripted a brilliant comeback for the hosts as they put up an unbeaten 139-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
While Mitchell scored 72 off 44 deliveries, Phillips finished with 70 runs off 52 deliveries as the duo took their side to a victory in the 19th over, with 11 balls to spare. Pakistan skipper Shaheen Afridi’s early assault with the ball went in vain as other bowlers could not leave an impact on the game, eventually resulting in their loss.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Match Details
Match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 5th T20, Pakistan tour of New Zealand
Date and Time: January 21, 2023, 5:30 AM IST
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
New Zealand vs Pakistan Head-to-Head
New Zealand and Pakistan have squared off in 38 T20Is. Before the two sides kicked off the five-match series, Pakistan had a massive advantage in their head-to-head record, which stood at 20-13 in favor of the Men in Green. However, with four consecutive wins, New Zealand improved their record against Pakistan.
Matches Played: 38
New Zealand: 17
Pakistan: 20
No Result: 1
New Zealand vs Pakistan Pitch Report
The straight boundary at the Hagley Oval is comparatively shorter and hence, the batters would aim to hit the ball in the area. The venue hasn’t seen many high-scoring matches. Therefore, a competitive game might be on the cards.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Weather Report
There’s no prediction of rain on match day and the weather will remain sunny with the temperature hovering around 25 degrees Celsius. While there’ll just be 1% of precipitation, the humidity is expected to be around 69%.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Probable XIs
New Zealand
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan
Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi (c), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
New Zealand vs Pakistan Match Prediction
Given the two sides’ form in the current series, New Zealand will be heavy the favorites to win the forthcoming game and complete a 5-0 whitewash.
Prediction: New Zealand to win the match.
New Zealand vs Pakistan Live Streaming details
TV: N/A
Live Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
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