Christchurch hosts the last two T20Is of PAK vs NZ. The fourth game will be played on Friday, January 19. New Zealand won the first three matches and clinched the series. Pakistan is now desperate to avoid a clean sweep. The match starts at 5.40 am IST
Finn Allen’s maiden T20I ton propelled the hosts at a mammoth 224/7 pace. He hit 16 sixes and four fours in his innings. Tim Seifert scored 31 and was the second-highest scorer for the home team. Glenn Phillips scored 19 off 15 balls.
All Pakistan bowlers were expensive and captain Shaheen Afridi made 43 runs. Haris Rauf made 60 of his spell and picked up two wickets. Mohammad Nawaz in the first game of the series scored 44 runs during his spell. All the bowlers picked up wickets but they were expensive.
Pakistan, who have not won a single T20I series since 2022 after playing in the T20 World Cup final, have now lost a series against Australia, Afghanistan and New Zealand. Shaheen Shah Afridi has had the worst possible start to his career as captain. A whitewash would make things even more difficult for them in the T20 World Cup year.
Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan’s captain in all formats after the World Cup. The PCB also changed: Mohammad Hafeez took over as team manager from Mickey Arthur and former cricketer Wahab Riaz was named the new chief selector of the PCB.
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New Zealand will be without captain Kane Williamson for the last three matches. He suffered a hamstring injury while batting in the second T20I. Mitchell Santner leads the team in his absence. Allenn’s hit didn’t let the team feel Williamson’s absence.
So far everything has gone well for the hosts, winning the first three matches by comfortable margins. The Kiwis are ranked third in the latest T20I rankings, while Pakistan is ranked fourth. India, after their T20I victory against Afghanistan, regained the number one spot in the rankings.
The two teams have played 37 T20Is, with Pakistan winning 20 matches and New Zealand 16. Babar Azam is now batting at three and has scored three consecutive fifties in the first three games. Pakistan’s performance since losing the Test series to Australia has declined and they have been outplayed in the first three games so far.
Recent site records (Hagley Oval, Christchurch)
STATISTICS – T20
Total matches 11
Matches won by batting the first 5
Matches won bowling first 6
Average score for 1st Inns 164
Average score for 2nd Inns 134
Highest recorded total 208/5 (20 Ov) by NZ vs BAN
Lowest total recorded 10/32 (14.5 Ov) by BANW vs NZW
Highest score chased 177/3 (19.5 Ov) by PAK vs BAN
Lowest score defended 167/5 (20 Ov) by PAK vs BAN
Who will score the most runs for New Zealand: Devon Conway/ Finn Allen
Who will take the most wickets for New Zealand: Mitchell Santner / Tim Southee
Who will score the most runs for Pakistan: Babar Azam / Mohammad Rizwan
Who will take the most wickets for Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi / Haris Rauf
PAK vs NZ Today’s Match Prediction: 4th T20I, Who will win today’s T20I match? 2024
New Zealand have dominated Pakistan in the first three games and are also favorites to win the fourth T20I between PAK and NZ.
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