PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam's brilliant 69, Shaheen Afridi's robust 4-fer help Pakistan gun down New Zealand in 5th T20I, level series 2-2

Babar Azam-led Pakistan fought hard to earn a thrilling victory by nine runs over New Zealand in the final match of the five-game T20 series on April 27. The closely contested game went down to the wire and was decided in the very last over at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. This win ensured Pakistan finished the series level at 2-2. They had previously secured wins in the second and fifth T20Is, while New Zealand dominated the third and fourth games. The opening encounter in Rawalpindi was unfortunately washed out due to rain. 

Babar bolsters Pakistan's batting with cracking knock

Pakistan's batting performance was anchored by a brilliant 69 off just 43 balls from captain Babar Azam. A valuable late cameo from Fakhar Zaman also helped them reach a competitive total of 178 runs.

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With the ball, Pakistan relied on their star pacer Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm quick single-handedly swung the momentum in his team's favor during a crucial 15th over. He dismissed both James Neesham and Zakary Foulkes with consecutive deliveries, effectively taking the game away from New Zealand. Afridi finished his spell with impressive figures of 4 wickets for just 30 runs.

Shaheen Afridi breaks NZ batters' back

Needing 179 runs to win, New Zealand's chase got off to a shaky start. Their hopes were dented early on by Shaheen Afridi's brilliance in the very first over. The young pacer, at the age of 24, displayed his talent with a beautiful in-swinging delivery that dismissed Tom Blundell.

However, the Black Caps weren't ready to give up without a fight. Tim Seifert stepped up and took charge, launching a counter-attack. He targeted Pakistan's bowler Mohammad Amir, peppering the boundaries with powerful shots all around the field during his over.

Seifert's aggressive knock seemed to be putting New Zealand in a strong position. Unfortunately, his fiery innings was cut short in the ninth over. Pakistan's bowler Osama Mir managed to send him back to the pavilion after a quickfire 52 runs off just 33 deliveries.

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Even though New Zealand kept losing wickets throughout their chase, they never gave up on the aggressive approach. Lower-order batsman Josh Clarkson tried his best to carry the fight forward, but unfortunately, he couldn't lead his team to victory. New Zealand fell short of the target by nine runs.

Earlier, Pakistan had batted first and set a total of 178 runs for 5 wickets. Their captain, Babar Azam, played a crucial knock scoring a well-paced 69 runs off just 44 balls. Fakhar Zaman also chipped in with a valuable 43 runs from 33 deliveries, including five boundaries, to solidify Pakistan's position.

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