T20 World Cup: New Zealand Against Australia – New Zealand finished the 2nd day with 165/0 and started the day trailing by 273 runs. Both openers continued from where they ended yesterday. However, Pakistan got early success when Conway lost his wicket to Nouman Ali after adding just eighteen runs to the team tally.
Leg-spinner landed a nice looped delivery around off, which turned back sharply and caught Conway on the back foot, who, while attempting it towards the leg side, missed and got rapped up on the pads. However, they had to go for DRS when the umpire’s finger stayed down despite huge appeals.
The third umpire spent some time on UltraEdge and found a tiny gap between the bat and ball, and ball tracking showed it was hitting the stump. With that said, Conway missed out on his century by eight runs and had to depart on 92.
Despite getting the early breakthrough, Pakistani bowlers failed to put pressure on Kiwi batters as they were able to find gaps. However, things turned around as Pakistan got its second wicket of the day, that too at the stroke of the launch.
Tom Latham lost his wicket to young sensation Abrar Ahmed, who delivered a full ball around the middle and got it to spin down the leg side; Latham went down to play his favourite sweep shot. Still, this time, the ball touched his gloves and forearm and looped behind the keeper, where sub-Kamran Ghulam moved to its right and took the simplest of catches.
T20 World Cup: New Zealand Against Australia – Devon Conway 92 Unbeaten Smash, Kane Williamson Firm Pitch, All In Control on Day 3
After 80 runs and two wickets in the first session, the post-lunch session was full of action. Henry Nicholls fell soon after Lunch after a poor shot selection against Nouman Ali, who landed his delivery outside off, which turned back sharply and went low after landing on the rough patch of the pitch.
Henry tried to cut it but took a thick inside edge, and the ball shattered the stumps. It looked like Pakistan was back in the game. Still, Daryl Mitchell, who replaced Nicholls, a great player against spin and has an excellent average against Pakistan, totally changed the situation as he took charge of the bowlers from his second delivery.
With his charge, Kane Williamson also took benefit by starting to play freely and completed his 34th Test fifty. Daryl Mitchell departed after an action-packed 65 runs partnership, scoring 42 runs off 47 balls, including seven fours and one six.
He set the tone as the next wicket-keeper batsman Tom Blundell is still on the pitch with 35 runs at a strike rate of 49, including three fours and one six, while on the other hand, Kane Williamson is standing firm with 83 runs, just 17 runs away from his fifth Test century against Pakistan, most against any Test side.
With 401/4, they require just 37 runs to match the first inning tally of Pakistan of 438, and the way things are, both Williamson and Blundell will try not to lose their wicket in this session and take a massive amount of lead, but with playing with a reasonable run rate as three days have almost passed.
