The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That’s all that we’ve got from our end tonight as Pakistan see out a dominant victory in the second T20I of this 5-match series. 2-0 they lead. I hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage just as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing it to you. On behalf of my friend and colleague, Pratyush Rohra, and myself, Habil Ahmed, thank you!
Do join us on Monday for more thrilling T20I cricket. But if that is too much of a wait, we’ve got all the action from the Fairbreak International final games, Day 1 of the Sri Lanka-Ireland Test and the IPL double header right here on Sportskeeda. Stay tuned for all the updates. Also, stay safe!
Tom Latham: We were there and thereabouts for some periods. We did well around the 13th over, giving 30 runs and taking 4 wickets but we didn't quite finish it off. The way Babar played was excellent. You always want to stick to your blueprint and put in the performances. The bowlers have been trying hard. It's one of those things that is not far away. We have to get the plans right and execute them. We were a lot better today than we were last night. We didn't get off to the best of starts but they bowled well. We weren't able to build those partnerships in the middle either. Someone like Mark Chapman played beautifully today. If we had someone else also put their hands up, it could have been different. We aren't that far away, even if it says that on the scoreboard. It's a game of fine margins and can be fickle. Hopefully, we can get things right and some momentum by getting a win under our belt.
Babar Azam is the Player of the Match. Here is what the Pakistan captain has to say: Very happy to perform in this match. The wicket had something for the fast bowlers so Rizwan and I did well to stay together. After that, we built good partnerships. I'm set in the middle at the end, so yeah. Ifti and I did well to score runs in the last five overs. It's a concern. Back-to-back wickets hurt any team. We recovered from it nicely but we've spoken about it in the dressing room. We can't lose wickets in quick succession. Our bowling lineup is outstanding. We've got some young bowlers and some experienced bowlers.
Pakistan beat New Zealand by 38 runs!
Babar Azam 101*(58) | Matt Henry 2/29 Mark Chapman 65*(40) | Haris Rauf 4/27
Clinical performance with bat and ball from the hosts in the end. Two games in and a 2-0 lead in the bag. Two wins in consecutive days as well. They have dominated the game and deserve the win in the end.
Pakistan dominated this game from ball one and never really let control of the game get away from them, apart from a brief spell in the middle overs where they faced a mini-collapse and saw themselves four down in no time.
The Kiwis, in spite of some initial promise, were never really in the chase with the required rate only seeming steeper as the game went on. Mark Chapman played the role of the lone warrior in the game, scoring a fighting unbeaten 66 as the Pakistanis comfortably closed out the win in the end.
If the hosts’ hero with the bat was skipper Babar Azam, pacer Haris Rauf was not too far behind with the ball. 4 wickets (mostly) in the middle overs broke the back of the Kiwi chase and put his team in pole position to come away with the win and the 2-0 lead in the series.
It is Babar’s century that most people will remember from this game though. A brilliantly put together unbeaten 100, the captain’s knock put the game almost out of reach before the chase even began. That said, the likes of Rizwan and Iftikar with the bat, and the entire bowling attack played just as important a role in seeing the home side over the line.
The action continues at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday as the hosts look to achieve an unassailable 3-0 lead. Whether it happens remains to be seen.
Tame end to what could have been a really fun chase in the end. Pakistan win by 38 runs.
20
overs
154/7score
0
1
0
W
1
6
runs
Mark Chapman*
66(40)
Henry Shipley
1(1)
Zaman Khan
1/30
19.6 Zaman Khan to Mark Chapman, SIX! Dug in short and outside the off-stump. Chapman hangs back and upper cuts it to clear the deep point boundary. Not like that maximum matters in the grand scheme of things. Pakistan win by 38 runs and take a 2-0 lead in the 5-match series!
19.5 Zaman Khan to Henry Shipley, pitched up on the middle stump line. Shipley stays deep in his crease and drills this down to long-on
Henry Shipley, RHB, is the new man in.
Zaman Khan gets his man with a slower yorker in the end, as he indicates with his celebration.