New Zealand T20I Tri-Series, Pakistan hammer Bangladesh: Key stats
Pakistan clinched a 21-run win over Bangladesh to take the first match of the ongoing New Zealand T20I Tri-Series on Friday. Mohammad Rizwan (78*) extended his thunderous form, guiding Pakistan to 167/5. Meanwhile, Taskin Ahmed (2/25) curtailed their scoring in the middle overs. Later, Bangladesh put up a sluggish effort to fall out of the chase (146/8). Here's more.
How did the match pan out?
Put to bat, Pakistani openers stitched a healthy 52-run stand among themselves. The situation soon worsened for Babar Azam's men as they lost wickets in clusters. Besides Taskin, spinner Nasum Ahmed (1/22) was a top act, conceding only two boundaries. Later, Pakistani bowlers floored their rivals with frequent inroads to pocket a win. Pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr (3/24) was the show-stopper in this regard.
Runs galore for Rizwan!
Rizwan clocked his 21st career fifty, and astonishingly, his eighth in a span of 13 T20Is. He clubbed seven fours and two sixes to remain unscathed on 78*(50). As per ESPNcricinfo, the Run Machine has now equaled KL Rahul in terms of the most fifty-plus scores in the format (22). He now owns 2,337 runs across 69 T20Is, averaging a superb 54.34.
Litton, Yasir put up a fight against Pakistan
Litton managed a 26-ball 35, cutting down the 168-run chase. He now holds 1,154 runs while striking at 126.25. As per ESPNcricinfo, the top-order batter has steered past the tallies of Soumya Sarkar (1,136) and Angelo Mathews (1,148). Meanwhile, Yasir's 21-ball 42* saw him smash five fours and two sixes, tallying 75 T20I runs at 37.50. It's his best score in the format.
Pakistani bowlers attain these numbers
Wasim Jr had a field day at work, claiming a three-fer to tally 19 scalps at 9.50. Ace leg-spinner Shadab Khan (1/30) has steered to 85 wickets, equalling the count of Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Mohammad Nawaz bagged two wickets, while seamers Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani snared a wicket each.
Pakistan extend their dominance over Bangladesh
Pakistan now boast a 14-2 win-loss record against the Tigers in the format. Interestingly, the Men in Green's last defeat dates back to 2016. Sarkar(48) guided Bangladesh to a five-wicket triumph, chasing a modest 130 (131/5). Pakistan haven't lost in seven successive games since.
