Pakistan beat NZ in fifth T20I to avoid whitewash: Stats
Team Pakistan has avoided a whitewash with a 42-run triumph in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch. It was a low-scoring affair as the Men in Green posted 134/8 while batting first and later defended the total. While Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman made vital thirties, Iftikhar Ahmed claimed three wickets. However, NZ clinched the series 4-1.
How did the game pan out?
Rizwan (38) and Zaman (33) batted well as Pakistan were well placed at 88/2 at one stage. However, some brilliant bowling from the home team meant the visitors were restricted to a mediocre total. In reply, NZ never got going as Finn Allen (22) and Glenn Phillips (26) were the only ones to cross the 20-run mark. The Kiwis were folded for 92.
Rizwan accomplishes this feat
Rizwan, who made a run-a-ball 38, went past England's Jos Buttler (2,753) to become the batter with the most T20I runs as a designated wicket-keeper. The former has now raced to 2,784 runs in this regard at 50.61. Overall, he has raced to 2,981 runs at 48.86 with 26 half-centuries and a solitary century.
600-plus runs against New Zealand
Against New Zealand, Rizwan has now raced to 622 T20I runs at 38.87. The tally includes five fifties. Meanwhile, only Babar Azam (755) has accumulated more T20I runs against the Black Caps. On NZ soil, the batter has raced to 517 runs at 43.08. No other visiting team batter has managed more T20I runs in the nation.
Three-fer for Iftikhar
Iftikhar, who returned with 3/24, registered his best bowling figures in the T20I format. The part-time off-spinner has raced to seven wickets at an economy of 6.89. With the bat, he owns 858 T20I runs at 25.23. The tally includes four fifties. He could only manage five runs in the fifth T20I.
50 T20I wickets for Mohammad Nazwaz
Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz, who claimed 2/18 in the game, became the 12th Pakistan bowler to complete 50 T20I scalps. He has now raced to 50 wickets at 27.22. With the bat, he has clobbered 477 runs at 18.34. Against New Zealand, the left-arm spinner now owns seven wickets at 33.42.
150 T20 scalps for Henry
Matt Henry, who claimed 2/30 in four overs, has raced to 151 T20 wickets at 24.38. The tally includes three four-wicket hauls with 4/24 being his best figures. In T20Is, he has completed 20 wickets in 17 games at an average of 24.80. His economy rate in the format reads 8.13. Versus Pakistan, he has raced to 13 T20I scalps at 22.38.
