Kyle Jamieson dismantles Pakistan's batting order in T20I opener: Stats
What's the story
Kyle Jamieson played a pivotal role in New Zealand's nine-wicket triumph in the first match of the T20I series against Pakistan at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
The fast bowler single-handedly crippled Pakistan's batting lineup by taking three wickets in his first 11 balls.
This performance shocked the Pakistani team, who were already reeling from their Champions Trophy campaign exit and missing key players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Here are further details.
Early wickets
Jamieson's early breakthroughs set the tone
Jamieson struck first by sending opener Mohammad Haris back on the last ball of his first over.
The pacer returned to get Irfan Khan's wicket for just one run off six balls, leaving Pakistan at a precarious 3/3 in the third over.
His final blow came when he dismissed Shadab Khan with a catch from Tim Robinson behind square, ending Pakistan's powerplay at 14/4.
Pakistan were eventually folded for 91 as Jacob Duffy also dismissed four batters.
Strategic shift
Pakistan's new strategy for T20I series
The decision to drop Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the T20I series against New Zealand came after their dismal show in the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan's interim head coach and national selector Aaqib Javed described this tactical move as an effort to develop a new mindset among players for modern-day T20 cricket.
He said, "We need our players to play fearless cricket."
DYK
Jamieson registers this record
Jamieson finished with career-best figures worth 3/8 across four overs. The pacer also delivered a maiden over.
Notably, he delivered the most economical four-over spell in NZ-PAK T20Is.
This was also the third-most economical four-over spell by an NZ bowler at home.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the pacer has raced to 13 wickets across 14 T20Is at 32.30 (ER: 8.68).
He has overall raced to 92 career T20 scalps at 23.78.
Run chase
Seifert's aggressive innings seals the match
Chasing Pakistan's paltry total, Tim Seifert's aggressive innings put his side in a commanding position.
He scored 44 runs off just 29 balls, hitting seven fours and one six.
Finn Allen and Tim Robinson also contributed significantly to New Zealand's chase, remaining unbeaten with scores of 29 and 18 runs respectively.
The Kiwis hence crossed the line in just 10.2 overs.