The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Thanks a lot for joining us for this exciting game of cricket between New Zealand and Pakistan. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did bringing it to you. Until next time, this is Mohul Bhowmick signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta. See you!
Kane Williamson (New Zealand captain): That's how it is in Eden Park. It is always chaotic. Fantastic knock by Daryl in our innings. It allowed us the freedom to throw the punches. Our bowlers were really good too. We knew the lengths that we wanted to hit, and more often than not did so. Special mention to Tim Southee- he was fantastic today. Picking up 4-25 in such conditions is an exceptional effort. It was great to see a fantastic crowd- good support for both teams. There are always a few things to touch upon, but we would rather build on the positives.
Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan captain): First time being captain is a proud moment for me! Short boundaries never help a fast bowler to be honest but that's how it goes. Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell played really well and out fielding helped them a lot. We need to get better in the fielder and quickly. Abbas Afridi was brilliant! Would want him to keep this form going. The bowling unit has to hit the right lengths too, come the next few games.
Daryl Mitchell has been adjudged the Player of the Match! Here is what he has to say.
Daryl Mitchell: I think you don't really know how much you need at Eden Park but the two partnerships with Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips helped a lot. Over here, playing straight is of essence and that's what a did today. We pride ourselves on our fielding and thankfully, we got hold of most of the catches in the outfield.
New Zealand beat Pakistan by 46 runs!
Daryl Mitchell 61 (27) | Tim Southee 4-25 Babar Azam 57 (35) | Abbas Afridi 3-34
Although Pakistan gave them a tough run for their money, New Zealand managed to emerge as the winners by the end of the game. Tim Southee was the star of the show for the Kiwis, picking up his 150th wicket in T20Is and ending up as the virtual match-winner for them.
Babar Azam scored a fine half-century coming in at number three, but once he departed, Pakistan's hopes of winning this game came to a thud. Earlier, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan got them off to a fantastic start and scared the Kiwi bowlers with their exploits.
However, once the duo departed, Babar did not get anyone who could help him build an innings. Iftikhar Ahmed and Azam Khan tried their best but they could not quite carry on. Once Babar departed, it was all but certain that the game would go the way of the hosts.
New Zealand's bowlers did extremely well and apart from Adam Milne, they proved to be as economical as it is possible to be in these conditions. Pakistan conceded far too many runs earlier in the day, and that proved to be their undoing. They need to come back stronger in the second T20I.
A moment of brilliance caps the Pakistani innings off! Chapman pulls off an absolute stunner!
18
overs
180/10score
1
1
1
W
0
W
runs
Haris Rauf*
0(2)
Aamir Jamal
14(7)
Tim Southee
4/25
17.6 Tim Southee to Haris Rauf, A TERRIFIC CATCH TO FINISH THE MATCH! CHAPMAN, YOU BEAUTY! NEW ZEALAND TAKE THE FIRST GAME! Good length off-cutter outside off-stump. Rauf backs away a bit and swings hard through the line of the ball. But, it gets sliced high up in the air. Point keeps his eyes on the ball to move to his right and complete a stunning catch with the dive!
Haris Rauf c Mark Chapman b Tim Southee 0 (2b, 0x4, 0x6)
17.5 Tim Southee to Haris Rauf, good length slower ball outside off-stump from wide of the crease. A swing and a miss through the line on the back foot, no run.