Pakistan will take on New Zealand in a crucial third T20I match of the ongoing five-match series on Friday at Eden Park in Auckland. With New Zealand having displayed exceptional skills in the first two encounters, the pressure is mounting on Pakistan, as they find themselves in a do-or-die situation after losing both of the opening games.
The series has so far been a challenge for Pakistan, who now find themselves 0-2 down. New Zealand have shown a strong all-around performance in the past two games, leaving Pakistan in need of a win in this third T20I to stay alive in the series. A loss here would hand the series to New Zealand with two matches still to go, rendering Pakistan with no chance to make a comeback.
Pakistan have been underwhelming in both games, failing to produce the consistency. Despite having the presence of good players, the team has been unable to capitalise on key moments. Their both batting and bowling attacks have struggled to build momentums. All in all, Pakistan, with their backs against the wall, will need a collective effort from all departments to keep their hopes alive.
For New Zealand, the goal will be to maintain the momentum and not allow Pakistan to recover. A win here would not only give them a 3-0 lead in the series but also boost their confidence heading into the final two matches.
Head to head
Matches - 46
NZ Won - 21
PAK Won - 23
NR - 2
NZ Probable XI: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears/Kyle Jamieson
PAK Probable XI: Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (c), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan/Usman Khan, Abdul Samad, Khushdil Shah, Jahandad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Ali