New Zealand cruised to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second T20 International of the five-match series, held at the University Oval in Dunedin. The home side, showcasing sheer power hitting, chased down the 136-run target with 11 balls remaining in a rain-reduced contest to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
After rain delayed the start by 90 minutes, the match was shortened to 15 overs per side. Pakistan, put in to bat, stumbled early, losing opener Hasan Nawaz for a duck for the second match in a row. The visitors were soon reeling at 19 for 2 in the fourth over. Captain Salman Agha, however, staged a valiant recovery with an aggressive 46 off 28 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to provide some stability.
Shadab Khan also played a quick cameo, scoring 26 runs from just 14 deliveries, while Shaheen Shah Afridi added a useful unbeaten 22 off 14 balls towards the end of the innings. Despite their efforts, Pakistan could only manage 135 for 9 in their allotted overs, as New Zealand’s bowling unit applied pressure consistently. Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham, both returning to the lineup, took two wickets each. Jacob Duffy and Ish Sodhi also chipped in with two wickets apiece, effectively containing Pakistan’s scoring.
New Zealand’s response was nothing short of electrifying. After a maiden over from Afridi to start the chase, Finn Allen unleashed a brutal assault in the second over, smashing three sixes off Mohammad Ali. Tim Seifert then took on Afridi in his next over, hammering 26 runs that included four massive sixes. The opening pair tore apart the Pakistan attack, with seven of their first eight scoring shots being sixes.
Seifert, who had also top-scored in the first T20I with an unbeaten 44, continued his fine form, scoring 45 off just 22 balls. Allen wasn’t far behind, hitting 38 from only 16 deliveries. Both batsmen cleared the small University Oval boundaries at will, with each striking five sixes.
Despite a flurry of wickets in the middle overs that saw New Zealand lose four wickets in the space of four overs, the outcome was never in doubt. Mitchell Hay ensured a calm finish, staying unbeaten on 21 and guiding his team home comfortably in the 14th over.
Pakistan made one change from the first match, bringing in seamer Haris Rauf in place of leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, but it didn’t alter their fortunes. The next match in the series is scheduled to be played in Auckland on Friday, where New Zealand will aim to seal the series with another victory.
Meanwhile, an unexpected moment occurred during Pakistan’s innings when a pitch invader tried to take selfies with Shaheen Afridi, adding a brief distraction to an otherwise one-sided contest.
New Zealand’s dominance in both batting and bowling was evident, and Pakistan will need a strong comeback to keep the series alive.
