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Pakistan's ace batter Babar Azam continued his imperious run in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, notching up his third consecutive half-century in the recently concluded third T20I at Dunedin on Wednesday.
The Men in Green needed to chase an imposing 225-run target to stay afloat in the rubber, given that they had already lost the first two encounters. Babar stepped up under pressure, scoring 58 runs off 38 balls.
However, the former captain did not receive enough support from the remaining batters, as the visitors finished 179/7 after 20 overs. While Pakistan suffered a 45-run defeat, Babar earned widespread praise on social media for being the lone warrior for his team.
Here are some of the top reactions:
Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first in the must-win contest. However, their bowlers let them down again, conceding 224 runs. New Zealand opener Finn Allen stole the show with his batting exploits, scoring 137 runs off just 62 balls.
For the chasing team, Babar Azam was the only batter who crossed the 30-run mark. Tim Southee was the pick of the bowlers, bagging two wickets while giving away just 29 runs in his full quota of four overs.
Babar Azam has scored 181 runs from three T20Is in the ongoing series
Babar Azam has been the only saving grace for Pakistan so far in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The right-handed batter lost his opening spot and was demoted to the No. 3 spot by the team management.
In addition, this is also Babar's first T20I series since relinquishing captaincy across formats. The 29-year-old was also under the scanner for his form following a string of poor performances.
However, he succeeded in turning things around, registering scores of 57, 66, and 58 in the first three fixtures. He is the second-highest run-getter in the series, having chalked up 181 runs at a strike rate of 157.39.
With the Blackcaps taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, Pakistan will look to salvage some pride by coming up with improved performances in the remaining two games. The fourth T20I will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday, January 19.
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