"Asli chokers to New Zealand waale hai" - Fans slam NZ for horrible day in the field against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal

It is once again a case of 'so near, yet so far' for New Zealand (NZ) as they have failed to beat Pakistan in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Wednesday.

On a slow pitch, the Kiwis seemed to have put a decent total of 152/4 on the board. However, their fielding, which has been world-class throughout the tournament, just didn't turn up as a number of run-out chances and catches were missed.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan added another century stand to their amazing collection as Pakistan won the game comfortably by seven wickets to reach their first World Cup final after 13 years.

Indian fans on Twitter were a bit disappointed with the way the Blackcaps played. Some feel that Kane Williamson and his men only turn up when they play India in the knockouts. Others also trolled them for being below par on the field and continuing their trend of losing against Pakistan in crunch games.

Here are some of the reactions:

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New Zealand missed some crucial chances to make early inroads into Pakistan's batting

New Zealand had the opportunity to send Pakistan skipper Babar Azam packing on his very first ball as Trent Boult managed to induce an edge. But part-time wicketkeeper Devon Conway failed to hold on to it and that proved to be a costly mistake for the Kiwis.

Babar got going gradually, while Mohammad Rizwan continued his rich vein of form by attacking the NZ bowlers. The duo brought up their third century-stand in T20 World Cups, which is a new record.

Although both openers got dismissed soon after, young Mohammad Haris continued to have a huge impact on Pakistan's campaign. His cameo of 30 essentially killed the game for the opposition and helped Pakistan reach their third T20 World Cup final.

New Zealand will ponder the missed opportunities in the field as anything could have happened had they held on to their chances.