Pakistan’s dependable wicketkeeper and top-order batsman Mohammad Rizwan Sunday achieved another milestone for the country during the second T20I match against New Zealand.
During the match being played at Hamilton’s Seddon Park in New Zealand, Rizwan became the leading six-hitter for the Green Shirts with 77 maximums for the national side in the T20 format.
The 31-year-old surpassed former skipper Mohammad Hafeez — who currently serves as the team’s director — had hit 76 sixes for Pakistan in the shortest format of the game.
It must be noted that Pakistan suffered defeat at the hands of the Kiwis in the second T20I of the five-match series.
Rizwan started Pakistan’s chase of 195 runs brilliantly by hitting a six to Tim Southee but he was removed by Adam Milne in the second over for just seven runs.
Star batter Babar Azam once again, just like the first match, top scored for the Men in Green by posting 66 runs off 43 runs on the scorecard, with the help of nine boundaries but his effort went in vain as the visitors struggled in the chase of the 195-run target.
New Zealand inched closer to winning the series as the national side fell short of 21 runs to win the game.
The Green Shirts struggled from the start as they lost both of their openers, Rizwan and Saim Ayub, within the first overs for just 10 runs.
Earlier in the first innings, Finn Allen powered New Zealand to a 194-run total as the right-hander played a rapid innings of 74 runs on just 41 balls, courtesy of seven fours and five sixes.
Thanks to Allen’s brilliant start, the home side looked all set to score a big total but things started to fall apart as soon as he was removed by Usama Mir’s googly in the 13th over.
The home side was 137-2 in 13 overs when Allen walked back to the pavilion, but after his departure, they only managed to score 57 runs in the remaining seven overs.
Pakistani bowlers made an excellent comeback in the match and managed to restrict the in-form Kiwis to 194 runs, a total they can chase down.
Haris Rauf took three wickets in the 19th over and became Pakistan’s top wicket-taker of the match. All of the visitors’ bowlers, except skipper Shaheen Afridi, picked up wickets.
