Stats: Pakistan create world record for most consecutive T20I wins while chasing
Pakistan's six-wicket win over Australia in the final of the T20I tri-series in Harare helped them consolidate their lead at the top of the ICC T20I Team rankings. It was possible courtesy of another Fakhar Zaman masterclass in a final.
After Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, they got off to a great start. The opening pair of Aaron Finch and D'Arcy Short put on 95 in 9.5 overs before Finch was dismissed. The middle-order didn't deliver but Short's 76 helped Australia post 183/8 in their 20 overs. Mohammad Amir was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with figures of 3/33.
In response, Pakistan got off to the worst possible start as they lost two wickets in the opening over bowled by Glenn Maxwell. Fakhar Zaman then took it upon himself to ensure that Sarfraz Ahmed's side came out on top in the final. Although he fell nine short of his century, he put on a century partnership with Shoaib Malik and saw them home.
Here are some interesting statistical highlights from Pakistan's win in the final over Australia:
0 - Under Sarfraz Ahmed's captaincy, Pakistan are yet to lose a single T20I while chasing. This was their 10th consecutive win while chasing, which is also the most by any team in T20I history.
0 - No player has scored more in a T20I final than Fakhar Zaman. The previous record was held by Marlon Samuels, courtesy of his 85* in the 2016 World T20 final. Zaman now holds the record courtesy of his 91.
1 - Sahibzada Farhan becomes the first player to be stumped off the first ball faced in international cricket. He made history after he was stumped for a duck off a wide from Glenn Maxwell.
2 - Pakistan's chase of 184 is the second-highest run chase in T20Is after a team lost two wickets in the first over. England hold the record, having chased 190 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
8 - Pakistan ended their run of eight successive losses in finals to Australia with this win and ended the 28-year run in the process.
9 - The win in the tri-series final over Australia is the ninth successive T20I series that Pakistan have won. Since the 2016 World T20, Pakistan are yet to lose a T20I series. In that same period, they have beaten England in England, West Indies both home (twice) and away, beat Sri Lanka, Scotland (away), New Zealand (away) and the World XI.
28 - This is the first time in 28 years that Pakistan have won a final against Australia. Before this, Wasim Akram's hat-trick at Sharjah in 1990 was the last time they did it.
91 - Fakhar Zaman registered his career-best T20I score. He broke his own previous record of 73, which he got in his previous T20I against Australia.