T20 World Cup 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for in the 1st semi-final between New Zealand and Pakistan

The stage is set for a mouth-watering tussle as New Zealand take on Pakistan in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022. The two teams will draw battle lines at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Wednesday, November 9, as they compete for a spot in the summit clash.

While New Zealand topped Group 1 of the Super 12 stage with seven points, Pakistan scraped through with six points and finished second in Group 2 despite losing their first two games. All that counts for nothing now, of course, with both teams beginning from scratch on Wednesday.

Both sides have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses and are aware of what their opponents bring to the table. In fact, in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, they contested a tri-series (with Bangladesh as the third side) and have seen enough of each other in recent times.

It is as fascinatingly set up as one could have asked for. On that note, let's dive into the three player battles that could define which way the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup heads.

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#1 Tim Southee vs Babar Azam

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has had a wretched campaign with the bat thus far. Up against him on Wednesday is a quality Kiwi bowling outfit led by Tim Southee, who boasts of a good head-to-head record against Babar in T20Is.

For the uninitiated, Babar has scored just 48 runs off 55 deliveries sent down by Southee in T20Is, while being dismissed twice. The veteran seamer clearly holds an edge in this regard and even more so when you put the Pakistan skipper's lean patch in the T20 World Cup into perspective.

Southee has got the new ball to swing this tournament while also using the bowling crease to good effect. Babar is someone who generally plays on the rise from his crease and should there be some swing on offer, this ought to make for tantalizing viewing.

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#2 Devon Conway vs Haris Rauf

After a match-winning unbeaten 92 against Australia in the Super 12 opener, Devon Conway's form and rhythm have both tapered off as the T20 World Cup has progressed. Returning to the same venue where he put in a Player of the Match-worthy performance should add a spring to his step, having looked rusty against England and Ireland.

That said, a certain Haris Rauf stands in his way, amidst an assortment of fast bowlers in the Pakistani ranks. Rauf has generated serious heat throughout the T20 World Cup and his head-to-head record against Conway clearly suggests that the southpaw has struggled against him.

Rauf has accounted for Conway's scalp four times in T20Is, with the latter averaging a mere 7.2 and striking at a rate of 107.4. Hard-length deliveries at the stumps have been tough for him to negotiate and even if he manages to see out the threat of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, Rauf could come across as his biggest acid test on Wednesday.

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#3 Kane Williamson vs Shadab Khan

Kane Williamson hit form with a sublime half-century against Ireland a few days ago. Having said that, time will tell if that was a genuine case of the Kiwi skipper returning to form or if it was simply an outlier.

Such has been his storied struggle across formats in 2022 and in the biggest game of the calendar year yet, he has a certain Shadab Khan to counter. The leg-spinner has scalped 10 wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of 6.22 and has also dismissed Williamson twice in T20Is, despite the latter averaging 33.50 against him.

One of Williamson's issues in recent times has been his strike rate against spin in the middle overs and this has extended into the T20 World Cup as well. Against one of the finest spinners in the format, he will have his task cut out in what could prove to be a defining battle in the context of the tournament.

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Which team between Pakistan and New Zealand will book their spot in the final of the T20 World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below!

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