Pakistan struggles in T20 opener as New Zealand cruises to easy win

Pakistan‍‍`s efforts to bounce back from their early exit in the Champions Trophy were met with a disappointing start on their tour of New Zealand. 

In the first T20 of a five-match series, Pakistan‍‍`s batting woes came to the fore, leading to a comprehensive defeat by 9 wickets in Christchurch.

After losing the toss, Pakistan was sent in to bat and quickly found themselves in serious trouble. 

They lost four wickets for just 11 runs, with opener Mohammad Haris and debutant Hasan Nawaz both departing without scoring. 

Irfan Khan (1) and Shadab Khan (0) followed soon after, leaving Pakistan’s innings in tatters.

Skipper Salman Ali Agha tried to stabilize the innings, but his contribution of 18 runs wasn’t enough to spark a recovery. 

Khushdil Shah top-scored with 32, including three sixes, and Zahan Dad Khan added 17 late in the innings, which helped Pakistan post a modest total of 91. 

Despite managing to survive for 18.4 overs, their slow and cautious batting approach seemed more suited for a Test match than a T20.

New Zealand, on the other hand, made the run chase look like a walk in the park, as they comfortably reached the target with 9 wickets in hand and 59 balls to spare. 

Tim Seifert led the way for the hosts with a quickfire 44 off 29 balls before being dismissed. 

His opening partner Finn Allen contributed 29 from 17 balls, while Tim Robinson remained unbeaten on 18 from 15 deliveries, as the Kiwis wrapped up the game in no time.

Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to make much of an impact after Seifert’s dismissal. 

The lack of breakthroughs allowed New Zealand to cruise to a commanding victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The writing seemed on the wall for Pakistan when they collapsed early on. Mohammad Haris was the first to go, dismissed without scoring in the first over after facing all six deliveries from Kyle Jamieson. 

In the very next over, Jacob Duffy sent back debutant Hasan Nawaz for a duck, leaving Pakistan reeling at 0-2.

Things only got worse when Irfan Khan fell for 1 run, leaving Pakistan three wickets down with just 1 run on the board. 

Shadab Khan’s dismissal in the fourth over made it 11 for 4, and the team’s hopes of setting a competitive total took a further hit.

A brief partnership between Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah gave Pakistan some respite. 

The pair added 46 runs for the fifth wicket, but Salman’s dismissal in the 12th over, caught by Seifert at deep square leg off Ish Sodhi, ended any hopes of a larger recovery. 

Khushdil followed soon after, caught at backward point by Finn Allen off Duffy’s bowling for 32.

Zahan Dad Khan‍‍`s 17 from 17 deliveries helped Pakistan crawl past 90, but it was never going to be enough against a strong New Zealand side.

Jacob Duffy was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, claiming 4 wickets for just 14 runs. 

Kyle Jamieson took 3 for 8, and Ish Sodhi chipped in with 2 wickets for 27 runs, while Zachary Foulkes also grabbed one wicket.

With Pakistan’s underwhelming performance, it wasn’t a surprise that New Zealand clinched the win so comfortably. 

The Kiwis now lead the five-match T20 series 1-0, and Pakistan will have to regroup quickly if they hope to bounce back in the upcoming matches.