Had either side won one more match going into the decider today, it could’ve been looking at the chance to go top of the ICC World T20 Rankings a couple of months before the World T20 kicks off in India. But contrasting fortunes in the first two T20s mean that New Zealand and Pakistan will be vying for the fifth spot in the rankings today. More important than the rankings, of course, would be the boost for either team - especially the visitors - that the series win would bring.
New Zealand have been brushing aside teams in the limited-overs formats of late, especially in T20s. And so, Pakistan’s win last Friday, especially the manner in which it was achieved, shocked everyone - barring the supremely confident looking-away side. A supreme drubbing orchestrated by New Zealand’s world-record-breaking openers Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson has firmly thrown the cat among the pigeons once again.
The first halves of both the T20Is were played out pretty much identically. Pakistan won the toss, elected to bat and posted 170 odd on the scorecard. In fact Pakistan would have felt more positive going into the second half in the second game, considering how Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal led a counterattack helping Pakistan post over a 100 runs after coming together at 67-3 in the 12th over.
In the first game the Williamson-Guptill mix-up that led to the latter’s run-out was possibly the defining moment in the game. Guptill, who has been tormenting bowlers of all pedigrees in limited-overs cricket, is quite often the key to New Zealand posting big totals. Skipper Williamson struggled throughout his eventually futile 70 in the first run-chase. However, what was remarkable was the way he adjusted in merely a couple of days to pretty much the same kind of bowling that Pakistan was offering on Friday.
Wahab, Gul and Amir hold the key to Pakistan's winning chances today
Mohammed Amir, following his much advertised return, had Williamson’s number in the first game - he had him dropped at mid off as well. However, Amir was dispatched all over Seddon Park on Sunday, especially by the New Zealand captain. While Amir was the most expensive in the second game, going for 34 in his three overs, none of the other frontline bowlers managed an economy rate below 9.00 runs per over. Only Imad Wasim went for 8.00 per over in his 4 overs, which was still a massive hike from the 4.50 he conceded at Eden Park.
Imad is fast developing into a genuine all-rounder and can be relied on to bowl 4 quick economic overs. His partnership with Afridi in the middle of the innings, or even his usage early on in the power play is paying dividends. While the skipper’s figures were distorted later on in the innings at Seddon Park, he (along with Imad) seemed to have brought Pakistan back into the game through their tidy bowling.
Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson
However, key to Pakistan’s triumph today, as is often the case, will be the fast bowlers’ performances. Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul might not have done too badly in the second game, but they are the ones that have the most to make up for. Just like the England series in November, the outcome of this series would also mirror the performance of Pakistani fast bowlers.
As far as the batting is concerned, Umar Akmal was the only batsman that performed in both games, scoring a 27-ball 56 in the second game and a 14-ball 24 in the first. His partnerships with Afridi at Eden Park and Malik at Seddon Park were pivotal in allowing Pakistan to post the totals that it did. Hafeez’s 61 laid the foundation for the 171 on Friday with a 47-ball 61.
Even so, the fact remains that 170 in these New Zealand pitches is very much a par score. When one factors in their opening partnership, not to mention the return of Ross Taylor, 200 seems very gettable for the Kiwi lineup on an average day. Should Pakistan win the toss and bat again today, they should keep 180-190 in mind, as the par score for New Zealand. That Pakistan bat virtually to the number 11 slot should help them accelerate early on as well.
Should Pakistan be forced into chasing today, anything over 160 will prove to be a daunting task, considering the team’s customary struggles with hunting down bigger totals. But if Pakistan are given a towering total to chase, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to send Sarfraz or even one of the last three up the order. It goes without saying that the least Pakistan should expect today is the New Zealand of Sunday - nothing short of a comprehensive display would be enough to challenge the Kiwis.
