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4:57 pm local time (9:27 am IST): Right from the toss to the final ball of the match, it was all New Zealand! Pakistan had their moments, but only a precious few, including a few missed opportunities from the Blackcaps. So, we now head to Dunedin for the 2nd T20I on Tuesday with the first ball being bowled at 2:15 pm local time (6:45 am IST). For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Michael Bracewell [New Zealand captain]: Great day in front of a great crowd! Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy made it really difficult for them and they never really recovered. Kyle of course took his hat off to bowl his fourth on the trot, but the thing is to keep all options open. I wanted to give the other bowlers a go, but yes, if need be, we will look at bowling all four overs of a bowler up front in a spell.
Salman Ali Agha [Pakistan captain]: It was difficult, we weren't up to the mark. We don't have much time, need to regroup and bounce back. They bowled well in the powerplay, we weren't good enough. We need to sit down, introspect and come back well. Three debutants, they will learn as many games they play. Always in New Zealand the new ball does something, we have the bowling to extract that.
Kyle Jamieson is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: It's nice to back on home soil, nice to play in the favourable condition and did well. With the conditions like this, makes our life job easier and nice all round team performance. We've got a good bunch, great depth and with the home conditions, all around the world, we have the players to do well. Really enjoyed bowling along with Duffy. He did well at the backend too.
4:46 pm local time (9:16 am IST): New Zealand win by 9 wickets with 9 overs and 5 balls to spare!
Tim Seifert 44 (29) | Jacob Duffy 4/14 (3.4) Khushdil Shah 32 (30) | Abrar Ahmed - 1/15 (2.1)
As professional as it could get from New Zealand in front of a lovely crowd at the Hagley Oval! They did lose the wicket of Tim Seifert, but at a time the game's fate was decided!
His quickfire knock with a strike rate of over 150 gave the hosts what they needed up front and then it was a straightforward effort from the pair of Finn Allen and Tim Robinson to finish the job.
Abrar Ahmed was the lone wicket taker for Pakistan but their bowling on the whole lacked the urgency to pick up wickets, defending such a low total.
So the Blackcaps, even with some big names missing, go 1-up with 4 matches to play and Pakistan, with a new-look unit, have plenty to do to make a comeback in the series!
10.1 Abrar Ahmed to Tim Robinson, NEW ZEALAND ANNIHILATE PAKISTAN AND GO 1-0 UP IN THE SERIES! That is that, proper thrashing this for Pakistan who had no clue what hit the them here. Drops it short on fourth stump, Robinson went back and slaps it to wide long-off and they come back for a brace to seal the game.
Abrar Ahmed [2.0-0-13-1] comes back into the attack.
It's time for drinks.
So, only 2 runs remain for the hosts to go 1-up. It has been a comfortable chase so far! The bowling from Pakistan has proved quite average. The intent to go on the hunt for wickets hasn't been there to be fair.
10
overs
90/1score
6
1lb
0
1
2
4
runs
Finn Allen*
29(17)
Tim Robinson
16(14)
Mohammad Ali
0/25
9.6 Mohammad Ali to Finn Allen, FOUR! SHOT! Back of a length on middle and leg. Allen gets inside the line, swipes it down to long-leg and it races away to the ropes. Just two needed now!
Can Allen finish it off with a six off the last ball of this over?