New Zealand vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI at Abu Dhabi, , Nov 09 2009 - Ball by Ball Commentary

Great to see the New Zealanders applauding Aamer and Ajmal. Pakistan were down and out when these two got together, but they've given New Zealand a real scare with that valiant tenth-wicket stand. Yes New Zealand fought hard, but Pakistan's batsmen, thanks to some shoddy shot-making, made a meal out of a modest target. Though the pitch was taking turn and helping the slow bowlers, it certainly wasn't one deserving of nine wickets falling for 54, which is exactly what Pakistan managed to achieve. Their No. 10 and 11 showed how to battle the conditions, taking the game to a nerve-wracking finish. The first two games were one-sided, but this one, in the end, lived up as a fitting finale. New Zealand take the series 2-1 and we now await the Twenty20 leg of the contests between the two teams. We'll get you the presentation details in a bit.

Aamer and Ajmal's stand is the second-highest overall for the tenth wicket in ODIs.

Mohammad Aamer is the Man of the Match for his fighting effort

Aamer: "I tried hard for my team. I would have been happier had we won this game. I was just telling Ajmal to just pinch singles, but we are sad to be on the losing side. We tried our best to win this."

Brendon McCullum is the Man of the Series. A half-century following up on his century in the previous game.

McCullum: "It was nice to have played a central role in the team's success. I was trying to get another start and make a sizable total. I had missed out on some big scores and was under pressure coming into this series. The last 30-40 runs, we felt the game was slipping away from us. They put in a great effort."

Younis: "We couldn't do it in the end. There were no big innings from the top of the order, and we couldn't build too many partnerships. But to see Aamer and Ajmal, the youngsters, play so well was great."

The crowd was jeering as Younis came over to speak.

Vettori: "We would have liked to finish it off a lot earlier. Ajmal and Aamer showed a lot of determination. But in the end, to defend 212 is an amazing effort. We made some incremental improvements, we put in some great fielding performances. McCullum played well, and was supported well by Redmond and Guptill. Wickets were most important and we wanted out bowlers to lead from the front. There is a lot of pressure on us to come away and win a series, and this win shows we are a quality side."

It's been a pleasure bringing you the coverage of the ODI series. Thanks for tuning in and sending us your feedback. Do join us again for the Twenty20 games starting in Dubai on November 12. Until then, on behalf of everyone at Cricinfo, this is Sid Talya signing off. Adios! Be well!

Phew, it all comes down to this. 8 needed off 6 balls. Oram to bowl. This stand is worth 103. Here we go

Some words exchanged between players here

13 off 12 now. Irrespective of the result, this is among the great fightbacks in ODI cricket. Ajmal to face Mills

15 needed off 16. The umpires are considering a ball change. The messengers come out with the drinks.

This is riveting stuff. A run-a-ball from here on.

25 needed off 24. Mills to bowl