That’s it from us here. Hope you enjoyed the coverage. Until next time, goodbye and take care.
Haris Rauf is named the Man of the Match for his excellent figures of 4/22.
Pakistan have won each of their last 13 T20Is that they have played in UAE.#NZvsPAK #T20WorldCup— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 26, 2021
That’s EXACTLY the innings Asif Ali was selected to play. Gotta love it when a plan comes together #PAKvNZ #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/svNBQ3zkB8— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) October 26, 2021
Pakistan’s three golden boys set up the win on Sunday: Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen. Tonight it was three of the players who split opinion the most: Rauf, Asif Ali and Malik. Surely now favourites for the T20 World Cup?– Matt Roller (@mroller98) October 26, 2021
Pakistan win by 5 wickets. Ali drives it through extra cover to hit the winning runs. 2 wins in 2 matches for Pakistan.
Malik goes for a heave but gets an inside edge to the leg side for a single off the first ball of the penultimate over. Asif Ali is again attended to by the physio after he’s hit on the helmet in the last over. There is a long break. Ali then looks to flick one but misses. DOT ball. Boult then drops it short, Ali hammers the pull over deeep mid-wicket to hit the hammer blow. With just 2 needed off 9, Ali drives one through covers for a couple to win it for Pakistan as the crowd goes wild.
SIX! Pakistan get closer. Ali smashes a pull over deep mid-wicket. 2 needed off 9.
After 18 overs,Pakistan 126/5 ( Shoaib Malik 25 , Asif Ali 19)
A brilliant last couple of overs for Pakistan. They have turned the match around. Asif Ali has made an instant impact. He belts a couple of sixes off Southee slower balls. Southee though bounces back well to bowl four dot balls to end the over. He hits the helmet as well and there is a review lost as well.
Malik then takes over from Ali and cracks one through backward point for a four. After a quick two he smashes one over the sightscreen for a six. Three runs off the last three balls make it 15 off the over. 28 runs off the last two overs. 9 needed off 12 balls.
SIX! Malik charges and hammers it straight down the ground, off Santner. 12 needed off 15.
SIXES! Asif Ali smashes it over long off, off a slower ball from Southee. The next one is slower again from Southee, Asif Ali waits and hammers it over long on for consecutive sixes.