In the first T20I clash between Pakistan and New Zealand at Eden Gardens, Auckland, on Friday, Saim Ayub batting made a stellar entry, providing the Green Shirts an exciting start in their pursuit of a 227-run target.
The 21-year-old, playing his ninth T20I for the Men in Green, kickstarted Pakistan’s chase with a boundary off Tim Southee’s first delivery. Displaying aggressive intent right from the beginning, Saim took on the experienced Southee, accumulating 12 runs in the opening over.
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Continuing his onslaught, the left-handed batter unleashed an assault on Matt Henry in the second over, even managing a trademark “no-look” six. Unfortunately, Saim’s innings ended with an unlucky run-out caused by Adam Milne’s direct hit.
Notably, during this inning, Saim Ayub became the first Pakistani player to amass a minimum of 25 runs with a striking 337.5 rate.
At the time of reporting, Pakistan stood at 90-2 after eight overs, with Babar Azam (22) and Fakhar Zaman (15) at the crease.
Turning the focus to the earlier innings, Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson stood out as New Zealand’s top performers with scores of 57 and 61, respectively. Williamson, given a lifeline at 11 after a dropped catch by Babar Azam, capitalized on the opportunity, contributing a valuable half-century.
Despite Williamson’s relatively modest strike rate (135.71), his innings created opportunities for aggressive players like Finn Allen (35 off 15) and Mitchell (61 off 27), who displayed exceptional strike rates of 233 and 255, respectively.
Pakistan‘s bowlers faced a tough time, with Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf maintaining decent economies of 8.50 each. Skipper Shaheen Afridi, who started well with a wicket in the first over, struggled later, conceding 46 runs while securing three wickets. Aamer Jamal gave away 56 runs, and Usama Mir was hit for 51 in four overs.
