After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Pakistan were on top from the outset. The left-arm new-ball duo of Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir combined to take three wickets between them in the powerplay before the wrist-spin of Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan further restricted the Black Caps’ momentum in the middle overs. Not a single New Zealand batter passed 20 as they were bowled out for 90, a chase that Pakistan hauled down with complete ease. New Zealand’s final total was their eighth lowest in a completed innings in men’s T20Is.

All of Pakistan’s bowlers finished with excellent figures; none of them had economy rates above seven runs per over.

Shadab picked up two wickets, including that of Ish Sodhi with an unusual lbw. Perhaps having seen Sodhi advance down the pitch, Shadab dragged his length back against his fellow leg-spinner.

The ball pitched extremely short on leg stump, holding its line and striking Sodhi on the hip after the New Zealander got through the shot too early. The ball was so short that its trajectory was on the way down by the time it struck Sodhi.

Pakistan’s appeal for lbw was dismissed by the umpire but after a short discussion between Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Shadab, Babar reviewed the on-field call. Replays soon showed the delivery pitched in line and would have gone on to hit the stumps – the decision was overturned and Sodhi was on his way.

That such a short delivery produced an lbw brought the Pakistan fielders into hysterics, with Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab all laughing heartily when the TV umpire’s final decision was displayed on the big screen.

You can watch Shadab Khan’s lbw and Babar Azam’s subsequent reaction below:

 

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