Watch: Haris Rauf took a one-handed blinder at short fine-leg to dismiss Finn Allen for a duck during the third T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand in Auckland on Friday (March 21).
Trailing the T20I series 0-2, Pakistan got off to a perfect start in the third match after opting to field first as Finn Allen departed in just the fifth ball.
Shaheen pitched the ball up, swinging it into the pads of Allen, who cleanly flicked it off his toes. The ball was travelling quickly, but Rauf hurled his body in the air to intercept it, leaping to his right with an outstretched arm. Allen was left in utter disbelief as he walked back to the pavilion without opening his account, with Shaheen claiming yet another trademark first-over wicket.
Despite the early blow, Mark Chapman rose to the occasion with a counter-attacking innings. At one point, he looked well set to break Glenn Phillips' record for the fastest T20I century by a New Zealander (46 balls), but he fell short after being dismissed for a 44-ball 94, which included 11 fours and four sixes.
Captain Michael Bracewell's 18-ball 31-not-out cameo ensured New Zealand got over the 200-run mark before being bowled out for 204.
Rauf was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers as he was the only one to go under an economy of eight (7.25) besides taking three wickets.
Watch Haris Rauf pluck a stunner to dismiss Finn Allen
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