NAPIER: Mohammad Rizwan celebrated his elevation to the Pakistan Test captaincy in style on Tuesday, smashing a career-best 89 to stop New Zealand claiming a series sweep in the third Twenty20 International in Napier.

Rizwan got out in the final over at 171-6 with Pakistan still needing three runs to win with four balls left. The recalled Iftikhar Ahmed settled the issue when he hoisted the fourth ball of the last over out of the ground for six, lifting Pakistan to 177-6.

But it was Rizwan’s 89 from 59 balls, with support from 41-run knock from seasoned campaigner Mohammad Hafeez — who hit two fours and three sixes during his 29-ball stay — that inspired the victory.

When he was out after adding 72 with Rizwan, Hafeez was just 12 runs short of equalling Shoaib Malik’s record of 2,335 runs for Pakistan in T20 Internationals.

It was a hard-fought win for the tourists, who suffered heavy defeats in the two opening matches after a rocky preparation that included coronavirus (Covid-19) quarantine in Christchurch with no training.

The win was particularly sweet for Rizwan, who was named on Monday as captain for the first Test against New Zealand from Saturday after regular skipper Babar Azam was ruled out with a broken thumb.

In Babar’s absence the wicket-keeper/batsman also opened the batting in all three T20s, making 17 in Auckland and 22 in Hamilton before achieving a maiden half-century and the career-best knock here. Rizwan beat his previous best of 33 not out.

“I never thought I’d be made the captain of Pakistan. It’s a big honour for me to be named captain. It’s a dream for me and I can’t explain my joy,” he said after his man-of-the-match T20 performance.

Rizwan said the T20 victory was an important morale booster ahead of the two-Test series against the Black Caps. “We lost the [T20] series but the last match was very important for the next series, We want to take momentum from this into the Test match, so this is very important for us.”

Rizwan’s innings — the sixth-highest by a Pakistan batsman in T20s Internationals — included a booming six that bounced off the roof of a stand and out of the ground, forcing the umpires to select a replacement ball.

Daryl Mitchell, on as a fielding substitute for the injured Martin Guptill, took three catches for the Black Caps and Pakistan made a nervy finish to the match.

But the solid start to the innings ensured the middle order had enough breathing space to steer the tourists home.

Pakistan, however, had nervous moments near the end of the match, especially when Tim Southee dismissed Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan with consecutive deliveries with the total on 163. Iftikhar survived the hat-trick ball and struck the winning runs an over later.

After two losses when batting first, Pakistan changed tactics and opted to bowl when they won the toss, restricting New Zealand to 173 for seven.

New Zealand’s innings progressed in fits and starts. While partnerships were created, few endured. The pitch was two-paced and the slower ball or cross-seamer was especially effective against batsmen trying to settle in.

Guptill and Tim Seifert looked strong in a 40-run partnership for the first wicket but both were out after making starts. Guptill, again, was unable to build on a solid beginning, making 19 before being caught by Shadab at mid-off off Haris Rauf in the fifth over.

Captain Kane Williamson, who made an unbeaten half-century in the second T20 on Sunday, lasted only four balls before he was bowled by Faheem for one. Williamson tried to cut a ball which was too close to him and chopped the ball onto his stumps.

Following 57 and an unbeaten 84, man-of-the-series Seifert was on 35 and confident, having hit two fours and three sixes, when he pushed forward too hard at Faheem and was bowled by a ball which ducked back through the gate.

Devon Conway made 63 to steer the remainder of the innings. New Zealand were 58-3 in the eighth over when Seifert was out and Conway added 51 with Glenn Phillips (31) for the fourth wicket to give the innings a stronger foundation.

Faheem was the pick of the Pakistan attack, taking three for 20.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

M.J. Guptill c Shadab b Haris 19

T.L. Seifert b Faheem 35

K.S. Williamson b Faheem 1

D.P. Conway c Shadab b Haris 63

G.D. Phillips c Haris b Shaheen 31

J.D.S. Neesham c Shadab b Faheem 2

S.C. Kuggeleijn c Iftikhar b Shaheen 14

T.G. Southee not out 6

K.A. Jamieson not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1) 2

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 173

FALL OF WKTS: 1-40, 2-45, 3-58, 4-109, 5-128, 6-159, 7-169.

DID NOT BAT: I.S. Sodhi, T.A. Boult.

BOWLING: Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-0-43-2; Mohammad Hasnain

4-0-29-0; Haris Rauf 4-0-44-2 (1nb); Faheem Ashraf 4-0-20-3; Shadab Khan 4-0-36-0.

PAKISTAN:

M. Rizwan c Conway b Jamieson 89

Haider Ali c sub b Kuggeleijn 11

M. Hafeez c sub b Kuggeleijn 41

Khushdil Shah c sub b Neesham 13

Faheem Ashraf c Seifert b Southee 2

Shadab Khan c Seifert b Southee 0

Iftikhar Ahmed not out 14

Hussain Talat not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-3) 7

TOTAL (for six wkts, 19.4 overs) 177

FALL OF WKTS: 1-40, 2-112, 3-141, 4-163, 5-163, 6-171.

DID NOT BAT: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.

BOWLING: Boult 4-0-43-0 (3w); Southee 4-0-25-0; Jamieson 2.4-0-22-1; Kuggeleijn 4-0-40-2; Sodhi 1-0-6-0; Neesham 4-0-37-1.

RESULT: Pakistan won by four wickets; New Zealand win three-match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: C.M. Brown (New Zealand) and W.R. Knights (New Zealand).

TV UMPIRE: S.B. Haig (New Zealand).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Rizwan.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Tim Seifert.

FIRST MATCH: Auckland, New Zealand won by five wickets.

SECOND MATCH: Hamilton, New Zealand won by nine wickets.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2020