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Pakistan defeated New Zealand by nine runs in the fifth T20I on Saturday (April 27) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Both teams went on to share the trophy as the 5-match series ended in a 2-2 draw.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and opted to bowl first in the series finale. Babar Azam (69) led his side from the front with a sensible half-century and guided them to 178/5 in 20 overs. Fakhar Zaman (43) and Usman Khan (31) supported their captain with handy knocks while Shadab Khan finished the innings well with a cameo of 15* (5).
New Zealand then got bundled out for 169 in 19.2 overs and lost the match by nine runs. Opener Tim Seifert (52) hit a half-century and provided a decent platform for his side.
A couple of middle-order batters started well but could not kick on and convert, which cost New Zealand the match. Ace pacer Shaheen Afridi stole the show with the ball for Pakistan by picking up a 4-wicket haul. Leg-spinner Usama Mir complemented him with an economical 2-wicket spell.
Cricket fans on social media enjoyed the thrilling fifth T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand. They expressed their reactions to the contest through hilarious memes on social media.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
"It's been a very close fought series"- New Zealand captain Micheal Bracewell after losing 5th T20I vs Pakistan
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kiwis skipper Michael Bracewell said it was a closely contested series and then shed light on the learnings of his team during the tour. He said:
"I think it's a pretty fair reflection of the series. It's been a very close fought series. We learnt on how to play in these conditions. Credit to Pakistan, they played brilliantly today. Usama Mir and Shaheen Afridi bowled brilliantly."
On the reasons behind losing the last T20I, Bracewell continued:
"We lost crucial wickets in the middle overs. Exposing the guys to some world class player, especially the way the debutants have gone about their business has been heartening to see. Yeah it's always a great challenge. You play against some great players and very different to the conditions we get in home. The way we adapted was great."
Which team's performance impressed you in this series ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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