Captain Bracewell reflects on NZ's thumping T20I victory over Pakistan
What's the story
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell was pleased with his team's performance in the first T20I against Pakistan in Christchurch.
The Kiwis bowled out their opponents for a paltry 91 runs and subsequently won by nine wickets.
In the post-match presentation, Bracewell lauded the crowd and credited Kyle Jamieson's brilliant bowling.
Bracewell reckoned Pakistan's score might have been even lesser if he had let Jamieson bowl his fourth over.
Statement
Here's what Bracewell said
"Was a great day in front of a great crowd. We have played against them domestically , to have them in the same team, it was super difficult for them and they couldn't recover," said Bracewell.
"Had to hold Kyle back for the 4th over, he was ready and at the top of his mark, it was difficult to keep them off the attack, maybe we could have restricted them to a lesser score," he added.
Player's perspective
Jamieson reflects on home advantage
Jamieson left the Pakistan batting line-up in a shambles as each of his three wickets came in the powerplay. He finished with career-best figures worth 3/8 across four overs.
"It was nice to be back on home soil, favorable conditions," Jamieson said.
He praised the depth of his teammates and their ability to exploit these conditions well, noting Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes for their strong performances in the match.
Duffy dismissed four batters.
Match summary
Pakistan's debutants struggle in T20I opener
Pakistan's new-look team, under Salman Agha, was given a tough time by New Zealand's pacers Duffy and Jamieson.
The visitors couldn't begin their new era with the fearless cricket they had planned.
The match also marked a disappointing debut for Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad, who were dismissed for single digits.
This was Pakistan's lowest total in New Zealand, bettering their previous low of 101 runs in 2016.
Agha's remarks
Pakistan's captain acknowledges team's performance
After the match, Agha conceded that his team wasn't up to the mark.
He lauded New Zealand's bowlers for their brilliant show and hinted at a need for improvement in upcoming games.
"It was difficult, we were not up to the mark," Agha said during the post-match presentation.
"They bowled really well, in great areas, and there was a bit of seam movement as well."
Match recap
New Zealand's chase and upcoming matches
During the run chase, New Zealand got off to a flying start with Finn Allen and Tim Seifert smashing boundaries.
They ended the powerplay at 53/1, while Pakistan were at 14/4.
Allen and Tim Robinson took New Zealand home with 59 balls to spare and nine wickets in hand.
The second match of this five-match T20I series will be played in Dunedin on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.