Babar Azam in action© AFP
Pakistan, on Tuesday, defeated New Zealand by 5 wickets in the Super 12 fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup, thanks to a late flourish from Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik in Sharjah. With this win, the Babar Azam-led side moved to the top of Group B with two wins from as many games. Chasing a target of 135, Pakistan won the game with 8 balls to spare. Earlier, Haris Rauf's four-wicket haul had restricted New Zealand to a total of 134/8. For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway had scored 27 each while skipper Kane Williamson contributed with a sluggish 26-ball 25. Initially, Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat first. (SCORECARD )
T20 World Cup: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Highlights From Sharjah Cricket Stadium
October 26 2021 22:59 (IST)
END OF THE COVERAGE!
Thanks for joining us for the Super 12 fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand.
October 26 2021 22:58 (IST)
IT'S ALL OVER!
Pakistan beat New Zealand by 5 wickets thanks to brilliant late flourish from Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik.
PAK: 135/5 (18.4)
October 26 2021 22:57 (IST)
SIX!
Asif Ali is enjoying this. Boult pitches it short and the batsman makes the most the pace and clears the boundary.
PAK: 133/5
October 26 2021 22:49 (IST)
SIX!
Malik rolls back the years. What a shot. That's gone miles away. It's all about the timing.
PAK: 123/5
October 26 2021 22:47 (IST)
FOUR!
Santner pitches it too short, too wide and Shoaib Malik cuts it between point to find the boundary.
PAK: 115/5
October 26 2021 22:42 (IST)
SIX!
It's that man again, ASIF ALI. This time over long-on. Southee gets punished for his short pitched delivery. Pakistan are back in the game:
PAK: 111/5
24 needed off 20 deliveries.
October 26 2021 22:41 (IST)
SIX!
Asif Ali! What a shot! That's a huge blow for New Zealand. Clears the long-off boundary.
PAK: 105/5
October 26 2021 22:39 (IST)
FOUR RUNS!
Shoaib Malik moves down the track and clubs it towards the square leg boundary. That's a poor delivery from Sodhi.
PAK: 97/5
38 needed off the final 4 overs.
October 26 2021 22:35 (IST)
FOUR!
First ball and Asif Ali gets off the mark in style.
PAK: 91/5 (15)
October 26 2021 22:34 (IST)
OUT!
That's hit him on the pad and it's given. Boult gets his revenge on Imad Wasim. Pakistan now 5 down. Big Big Wicket for NZ!
Imad Wasim lbw b Boult 11 (12)
PAK: 87/5
October 26 2021 22:33 (IST)
FOUR!
Much needed boundary for Pakistan. Imad Wasim punishes Boult, who over pitches his delivery.
PAK: 87/4
October 26 2021 22:30 (IST)
RUN RATE IS INCREASING!
Just 7 runs off that over of Sodhi. Pakistan need 53 off 36 balls. The required run-rate is just under 9.
PAK: 82/4 (14)
October 26 2021 22:21 (IST)
OUT!
Wrapped on the pads, and he's given him! Rizwan departs. Pakistan in deep-deep trouble.
M Rizwan lbw b Sodhi 33 (34)
PAK: 69/4 (11.4)
October 26 2021 22:14 (IST)
OUT!
What a catch! Devon Conway! How good is that. Hafeez tries to clear the boundary wide long off boundary but Conway pulls off an absolute blinder, having covered a lot of ground.
M Hafeez c Conway b Santner 11 (6)
PAK: 63/3
October 26 2021 22:07 (IST)
SIX!
Hafeez goes inside out over extra cover and just clears the boundary line. The classy stuff from the veteran Pakistan all-rounder.
PAK: 54/2
October 26 2021 22:03 (IST)
OUT!
That's a smart review from the Kiwis. That's a big wicket considering the context of the game. Pakistan now two down. Sodhi gets Zaman. The umpire shakes his head after an appeal for Lbw. The technology comes to the aid of NZ.
F Zaman Lbw b I Sodhi 11 (17)
PAK: 47/1
October 26 2021 21:58 (IST)
SIX!
That's a crunching blow. Fakhar Zaman takes the aerial route and dispatches Sodhi's delivery, up and over the stands.
PAK: 45/1
October 26 2021 21:57 (IST)
TIDY FROM NEESHAM!
That's an excellent over from the New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham. Just a couple of extras and a single.
PAK: 39/1 (8 ov) M Rizwan 23; F Zaman: 4
October 26 2021 21:51 (IST)
FOUR!
Mohammad Rizwan gets a bit lucky there. He gets a slight knick to it and the fielder gets completely beaten by the pace on the ball.
PAK: 34/1
October 26 2021 21:44 (IST)
OUT!
Bowled him. Tim Southee gets the big wicket of Babar Azam. That might have taken a slight edge on to the stumps. Big breakthrough for the Kiwis.
B Azam b T Southee 9 (11)
PAK: 28/1
October 26 2021 21:42 (IST)
BOUNDARY!
That has class written all over it. Babar Azam you beauty. It's too easy for a batsman of his caliber. Cuts it and beats the player at short third man for a boundary.
PAK: 26/0
October 26 2021 21:38 (IST)
FOUR RUNS!
Mohammad Rizwan again. Southee misses his length and the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter punishes him with a fine shot.
PAK: 19/0
October 26 2021 21:33 (IST)
FOUR!
Mohammad Rizwan targets Trent Boult from the very first ball. Bowlers pitches it staright, short of a length, and the batsmen uses his footwork and beats the man at deep square leg.
PAK: 13/0
October 26 2021 21:29 (IST)
ONE RUN!
Excellent stuff from Tim Southee so far. Rizwan managed to take a single.
PAK: 9/0 (1.4)
October 26 2021 21:25 (IST)
DOT BALL!
Decent start for Pakistan. 7 off that first over of the innings.
PAK: 7/0 (1 ov)
October 26 2021 21:23 (IST)
FOUR RUNS!
Babar Azam! What a shot! Makes the room and finds the boundary to get off the mark.
PAK: 5/0 (0.3)
October 26 2021 21:13 (IST)
OUT!
That's four wickets for Haris Rauf. He gets his redemption on Mitchell Santaner, who had smacked him for a four on the previous.
M Santner b Rauf 6 (5)
NZ: 134/8 (20)
Pakistan to chase 135 under the lights in Sharjah.
October 26 2021 21:11 (IST)
FOUR!
New Zealand will take anything at the moment. Great short from Mitchell Santner.
NZ: 134/7
October 26 2021 21:08 (IST)
OUT!
Easy catch. Seifert is gone. Shaheen Afridi finally gets his first wicket. His spell is over. Excellent bowling from Pakistan's star pacer.
T Seifert c M Hafeez b S Afridi 8 (8)
NZ: 125/7
October 26 2021 21:06 (IST)
FOUR RUNS!
That's cheeky. Tim Seifert finds the boundary out nowhere. Had he missed that shot, the ball was middle-stump-bound.
NZ: 125/7
October 26 2021 20:59 (IST)
OUT! GONE!
Another wicket for Haris Rauf. Another fine catch from the fielder. Glenn Phillips is the man to depart.
G Phillips c H Ali b Haris Rauf 13 (15)
NZ: 116/5
October 26 2021 20:58 (IST)
OUT!
Devon Conway is gone. Haris Rauf gets his second wicket of the match. Batsman tries to take the aerial route but Babar Azam takes a fine catch.
D Conway c B Azam b H Rauf 27 (24)
NZ: 116/5
October 26 2021 20:48 (IST)
TWO RUNS!
New Zealand need a boundary, desperately. Another tidy over from Hasan Ali. Just 7 runs from that 16th over.
NZ: 107/4 (16) Conway: 24*; Phillips: 8*
October 26 2021 20:44 (IST)
ONE RUN!
Phillips tries to hoick it over midwicket, but it's a swing and a miss. That's 100 up for NZ with that single. Just 31 deliveries remain.
NZ: 100/4 (14.5)
October 26 2021 20:39 (IST)
ONE RUN!
That's a tidy over from Hasan Ali. Just 5 runs off it and the unfortunate dismissal of Kane Williamson.
NZ: 96/4 (14.1)
October 26 2021 20:33 (IST)
RUN OUT!
Williamson is gone. Hasan Ali hits the stumps, The batsman tries to get back but the replay shows that's he is just short. The Kiwi skipper departs.
Kane Williamson run out Hasan Ali 25 (26)
NZ: 90/4
October 26 2021 20:31 (IST)
FOUR! MAKE IT THREE!
That's three in a row for Conway. Easy picking for the batsman.
NZ: 90/3 (13) Williamson: 25*; Conway: 17*
October 26 2021 20:30 (IST)
FOUR!
Conway sweeps Shadab towards the leg side and Asif Ali fluffs it. That's sloppy from him.
NZ: 82/3 (12.4)
October 26 2021 20:25 (IST)
FOUR!
After surviving an Lbw appeal, Williamson clubs it over fine leg for a boundary.
NZ: 68/3
October 26 2021 20:18 (IST)
NO RUN!
Hafeez starts his spell in some style. Wicket and just runs off that 10th over of the NZ innings.
NZ: 60/3 (10 ov)
Topics mentioned in this article
New Zealand Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
Babar Azam
Kane Williamson