Babar Azam registers his 33rd T20I half-century: Key stats
Babar Azam scored 58 runs against New Zealand in the third T20I at the University Oval in Dunedin. Chasing a mammoth 225, Babar was looking in solid touch but the visitors lost wickets in key junctures of the match to surrender the clash by 45 runs. New Zealand have taken a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Here we decode Babar's stats.
A crucial knock goes in vain
Babar came to the crease when his side was 23/1. He stitched a 39-run stand alongside Mohammad Rizwan and another 33 runs alongside Fakhar Zaman as Pakistan were doing fine in the chase. However, the Kiwis rallied back and got the crucial breakthroughs. Babar was dismissed by Ish Sodhi in the 13th over. His 58 came from 37 balls (4s: 8, 6s: 1).
An 8th fifty-plus score versus the Kiwis (3rd successive)
Playing his 107th match, Babar now owns 3,666 runs at 42.13. Babar smashed his 33rd half-century (100s: 3). As per ESPNcricinfo, in 19 matches versus New Zealand, Babar has smacked 723 runs at 48.20. He registered his seventh 8th fifty-plus score versus the Kiwis. Babar is in dream form in this series. He got scores worth 57 and 66 in the first two matches.
90th fifty-plus score in the 20-over format
In 271 T20s, Babar has raced to 9,643 runs at 43.83. He now has 90 fifty-plus scores in the format. Babar slammed his 80th fifty. He owns 1,015 fours and another 178 maximums.
NZ trounce Pakistan in 3rd T20I, seal series
New Zealand hammered Pakistan in the third T20I. NZ posted 224/7 in 20 overs, riding on Finn Allen's superb 137-run knock. Haris Rauf claimed 2/60 for his side. In response, Babar's 58 was not enough. Barring Mohammad Nawaz's 15-ball 28, nobody else upped the ante for the visitors. It was another clinical performance from the hosts.
