Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi lauded the efforts of his teammate and former skipper Babar Azam, despite their 45-run defeat to New Zealand in the third T20I at the University Oval in Dunedin. This loss meant New Zealand secured a 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series.
Babar, known for his consistent performance, once again emerged as a top scorer for Pakistan, despite the team's loss. He struck a commendable half-century, scoring 58 runs from 37 balls, including eight fours and one six. This was his third consecutive fifty in the series, highlighting his form and resilience.
Afridi, in his post-match comments, recognised Babar's potential to lead the team to victory, had he received adequate support from the other end. Babar stands as the highest run-getter in the series for Pakistan, having accumulated 181 runs at an impressive average of 61.33.
"Babar proved how good he is once again and played 3 best innings in 3 matches. Yes he wasn't able to finish the game but to do that, you need some help to take the game deep. If a good batsman stayed with him at the other end then he could have finished the match," said Afridi.
New Zealand's triumph in the match was significantly bolstered by Finn Allen's remarkable century, which broke the record for the highest individual T20I score by a New Zealander, surpassing Brendon McCullum's previous record. Allenās explosive batting led New Zealand to a strong total of 224 in their first innings.
Pakistan, in their chase, showed sparks of hope with contributions from Mohammad Rizwan and Babar, but New Zealand's disciplined bowling and fielding kept them in check, limiting Pakistan to 179/7. The required high run rate eventually led to Babar's dismissal, and although Mohammad Nawaz and Afridi made valiant efforts, Pakistan fell short by 45 runs.
Allen's exceptional innings of 137 off just 62 deliveries was the highlight of the match, underlining his potential as a game-changing batter.
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