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Mohammad Rizwan has been the most consistent performer in the shortest format of the game this year. Rizwan’s 87-run knock helped Pakistan chase down a mammoth target of 208 with seven balls to spare and win the match by seven wickets. With a convincing win in the third T20I, Pakistan whitewashed the Caribbeans by 3-0 in T20I series.
Record-breaking run chase
This was Pakistan’s highest run chase in the format. Their previous best came earlier this year against South Africa in Centurion when they chased down 205. This is also their second-highest T20I total. Their highest total of 232 in T20Is came against England while batting first. It is also the highest T20I total in Pakistan.
Rizwan’s unreal feat
Rizwan became the first batsman to breach the 2,000 mark in T20 cricket (T20Is, franchise and domestic cricket). The wicketkeeper-batter now has 2,035 runs this year from 44 innings including one century and 18 half-centuries. He is followed by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam with 1,779 runs this year. In T20Is, he has scored 1,326 runs from 26 innings so far at an average of 73.66 including one century and 12 half-centuries.
West Indies post daunting total
Affected by Covid-19, Nicholas Pooran-led side agreed to play the third T20I. The visitors got off to a flier as Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks shared a 66-run stand for the first wicket in the powerplay overs. King departed after scoring 43 runs from 21 deliveries including seven fours and two sixes. Skipper Pooran came in to bat at no.3 and scored his first half-century on the tour. Brooks missed his fifty by just one run whereas Pooran scored 64 runs from 37 innings. The wicketkeeper-batter’s innings had six big sixes and just two fours. Darren Bravo too contributed with a 27-ball 34 to help West Indies post 207/3 after winning the toss and elected to bat first.
Tough run chase made easy
In reply, the dominant opening duo of Rizwan and Azam did not let the required run rate slip out of grasp. They kept at it with timely boundaries from both ends. The two shared a 158-run stand in 15.1 overs, Pakistan’s second-highest opening stand. Azam got out on the first ball of 16th over with Odean Smith getting the breakthrough. The skipper hit nine fours and two sixes in the 53-ball 79. Rizwan carried on and did not let the run rate fall.
Getting out in the 18th over, Rizwan missed the chance to score his second T20I century. He scored 87 runs from 45 deliveries including 10 fours and three sixes. Towards the end, Asif Ali played the role of the finisher with seven-ball 21 and prevented the match to go into the final over. For West Indies, Romario Shepherd turned out to be the most expensive bowler as he conceded 53 runs from 3.5 overs.
