New Zealand set to make life uncomfortable for Pakistan as teams head to Dunedin
Sunday’s opening T20I was a disaster for a new look Pakistan side as they were dismissed for a disastrous 91 in 18.4 overs. The tourists lost their first two wickets before there were runs on the board and they lost the next two by the time the score was 11. They simply couldn’t find a way back from that.
Curiously it didn’t appear like a tricky wicket to score on. Only three Pakistan batsmen made double figures, but all of them who made it past ten did so at run-a-ball. The Kiwi batsmen were completely untroubled all going at strike rates of 120 or better. Sunday’s game was simply a case of inexperienced Pakistan batsmen being outgunned by New Zealand’s quicks.
New Zealand vs Pakistan | Second T20I | Tuesday 18 March | University Oval, Dunedin | 03:15am
Venue:
The University Oval in Dunedin has only played host to three previous T20I games. Of those, two were won by the side batting first while one was won by the side that chased. Interestingly, each team that won the toss elected to field first.
New Zealand have never been beaten in a T20I at Dunedin. They have played Pakistan, Australia and Sri Lanka at the venue and been comfortable victors each time.
Weather:
The forecast for Tuesday is not ideal as showers are predicted. The bulk of the rain is predicted for the morning, but there is still a 20 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. meanwhile the temperature will be on the chilly side and the wind will be strong.
Recent form (most recent game first):
New Zealand: W, L, W, W, W.
Pakistan: L, A, L, L, L.
Key players:
New Zealand: Jacob Duffy
He may be 30 years-old and a relative newcomer to international cricket, but Duffy is a player on the rise. His four for 14 in the opening game of the series was his best return in T20I, but it was the third time that he has claimed four scalps in an innings. He averages 18.26 runs per wicket with a strike-rate of 15.5. When Duffy made his Black Caps debut in 2020, he became the first Southlander to play for the national side since Jeff Wilson debuted in 1993. In short, New Zealand’s South Island is not the traditional home of cricket, but Tuesday’s game is being played there, and Duffy will want to make an impact in front of his fans and family.
Pakistan: Shadab Khan
This is a very inexperienced Pakistan side. Shorn of experienced players like Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan they are desperately low on experience, particularly in the batting department. With 105 T20I to his credit Shadab offers a degree of experience and new skipper Salman Agha (who has played just seven T20Is) will be looking to the wily allrounder to bring some steel to the mix. Batting at five in the series opener he fell for just three runs and went for 18 runs in his two overs. He will be looking to step up and contribute in the second game of the series as Pakistan go in search of an improved performance.
Verdict: New Zealand
If the rain stays away, it looks like it will be cold and miserable at Dunedin on Tuesday. It’s not a welcoming prospect for the tourists who are already looking decidedly uncomfortable in New Zealand. Pakistan’s batting line-up is very green while the Black Caps attack is impressive – expect them to dominate proceedings once again.
