Following the team’s 7-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the semi-final, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that they were put under pressure early in the innings and loss in the semi-final is “tough pill for to them swallow.”
Star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan found form at the right moment, smashing key half-centuries to help Pakistan cruise into the final of the ICC T20 World Cup after defeating New Zealand by seven wickets in the first semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. “We were put under pressure early. Pakistan bowled very nicely. We managed to wrestle back some momentum with an unbelievable knock from Mitchell. At the halfway stage we felt it was a competitive total,” said Williamson in a post-match presentation.
“Wicket was a bit tough – used surface. Very disappointing not to make Pakistan work a lot harder. They were outstanding. We were outplayed. It’s a tough pill for us to swallow. Babar and Rizwan put us under pressure. If we’re honest, we wanted to be more disciplined in our areas,” the New Zealand skipper further stated.
Pakistan needed a steady start to chase the target but they got much more than that as Babar and Rizwan put up solid base for their victory. While Rizwan scored 57 from 43 deliveries, Babar played a knock of 42-balls 53.
“At the end of the day, Pakistan certainly deserve to be a winner. There’s been a lot of good cricket. Throughout the round-robin, we played nicely. Today we weren’t at our best. Having said that, we know the fickle nature of T20 cricket,” Williamson said.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 152/4 in their 20 overs. Left struggling at 49/3 in eight overs, skipper Kane Williamson (46 off 42 balls) built a 68-run stand with all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, who scored a valuable 53* off 35 balls consisting of three fours and a six. Mitchell and James Neesham (16*) helped their side achieve a defendable total on a slow surface.
Pacer Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, taking 2/24. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz also took a wicket.
Chasing 153, Pakistan openers Babar Azam (53) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) found form at a perfect time. Both hit valuable half-centuries and added 105 runs for the first wicket in 76 balls.
Mohammad Haris also played a key knock of 30 off 26 balls after Trent Boult dismissed both openers. But Pakistan finished the match with seven wickets in hand and five balls to spare. Rizwan got the ‘Man of the Match’ for his half-century.
Brief Score: New Zealand 152/4 (Daryl Mitchell 53*, Kane Williamson 46; Shaheen Afridi 2-24) vs Pakistan: 153/3 in 19.1 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 57, Babar Azam 53, Trent Boult 2/33). (ANI)
