New Zealand v Pakistan
Wisden's review of New Zealand v Pakistan
Geoff Lemon
15-Apr-2017
At Mohali, March 22, 2016 (floodlit). New Zealand won by 22 runs. Toss: New Zealand.
New Zealand became the first to reach the semi-finals, after Pakistan failed to build on an electric start to their chase from Sharjeel Khan. He took three fours off Santner in the first over, two off Milne in the third, then three more, plus a six, off McClenaghan. It was breathtaking stuff: after four overs Sharjeel had 42 to Ahmed Shehzad's six, and Pakistan - needing 181 - had passed 50. But the momentum departed with Sharjeel: Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who had been vocal about his desire to move up the order, batted too slowly, and Shahid Afridi too briefly. After an opening stand worth 65 in 5.3 overs, only 93 came from the remaining 14.3, with no boundaries at all in the final five. "People will have to take a hard look at themselves," said their visibly agitated coach, Waqar Younis. On a bouncy track that brought welcome relief from the tournament's mainly sluggish surfaces, New Zealand had reached 60 in seven overs, as Guptill and Williamson recorded their eighth opening stand of 50-plus in their last ten Twenty20 international innings. Afridi briefly imposed himself on the contest by catching Williamson and dismissing Munro (he later snared Anderson to move to 39 wickets in World Twenty20s, beating Lasith Malinga's record). But Guptill took him for 27 runs from 14 balls faced and, by the time he was bowled in the 15th over for 80 of New Zealand's 127, he had allowed his team-mates to slog with abandon. Taylor obliged with a rapid unbeaten 36. Pakistan were reliant on results elsewhere for a place in the last four.
Man of the Match: M. J. Guptill.
New Zealand became the first to reach the semi-finals, after Pakistan failed to build on an electric start to their chase from Sharjeel Khan. He took three fours off Santner in the first over, two off Milne in the third, then three more, plus a six, off McClenaghan. It was breathtaking stuff: after four overs Sharjeel had 42 to Ahmed Shehzad's six, and Pakistan - needing 181 - had passed 50. But the momentum departed with Sharjeel: Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who had been vocal about his desire to move up the order, batted too slowly, and Shahid Afridi too briefly. After an opening stand worth 65 in 5.3 overs, only 93 came from the remaining 14.3, with no boundaries at all in the final five. "People will have to take a hard look at themselves," said their visibly agitated coach, Waqar Younis. On a bouncy track that brought welcome relief from the tournament's mainly sluggish surfaces, New Zealand had reached 60 in seven overs, as Guptill and Williamson recorded their eighth opening stand of 50-plus in their last ten Twenty20 international innings. Afridi briefly imposed himself on the contest by catching Williamson and dismissing Munro (he later snared Anderson to move to 39 wickets in World Twenty20s, beating Lasith Malinga's record). But Guptill took him for 27 runs from 14 balls faced and, by the time he was bowled in the 15th over for 80 of New Zealand's 127, he had allowed his team-mates to slog with abandon. Taylor obliged with a rapid unbeaten 36. Pakistan were reliant on results elsewhere for a place in the last four.
Man of the Match: M. J. Guptill.