PAK vs NZ Highlights, T20 World Cup Semifinal: Pakistan beats New Zealand by seven wickets, enters final

What a tournament this has been for Pakistan so far. From the brink of elimination, now they are into the final after beating New Zealand, which had a near-perfect tournament in the Super 12s. First final for Pakistan in T20 World Cup since 2009, the year they won the title. All eyes will now be on the big India vs England semifinal in Adelaide on Thursday and the world will watch with bated breathe whether the Men in Blue succeed in setting up an epic summit clash, a throwback to the 2007 final maybe!

WATCH - Pakistan’s picture-perfect entry into T20 World Cup final

Two to win off six balls. Final over. Southee to bowl to Masood. Round the wicket. Wide ball down leg-side. Scores level. Just one run to win. Driven down the ground for a single and Pakistan is through to the finals!

Eight runs to win from 12 balls. Santner bowls. Haris looks to paddle sweep this but misses as the ball turns away. Haris reverse sweeps next ball and this is dropped by Sodhi at short third. This was dipping on him and Sodhi couldn’t get his fingertips under the ball. Turning into Masood, he misses, so does the keeper and this runs away to three byes. Two to win off seven balls. OUT! Haris drops his back knee and ends up handing a catch at short fine.

Masood comes in. Ferguson with the ball. Quick single taken off a bye. Full on the toes and flicked for a single by Masood. Haris hacks across the line and only gets an inside edge to the keeper for a single. FOUR! This was a good yorker but Haris did well to make room and squeeze it through the off-side for a boundary. SIX! This is pulled away behind deep backward square for a maximum next ball. Steps out and carves it to deep point for a single off the last ball.

Here comes Boult. Haris gets a couple off the first ball. Boult digs in a slower bouncer and Haris misses trying to flap at it unceremoniously. Haris swings across the line and misses. He struck on the thigh and the LBW appeal is turned down. Full and Rizwan smacks that to long-off for two more. OUT! Full toss outside off, Rizwan steps out and hands a catch at deep point. The umpires ask him to wait as they check for a full toss for height but third umpire think it’s okay and Rizwan has to walk.

PAK needs 31 runs to win off 30 balls. Southee is back. Haris slashes this to point and this is dropped by Santner! Haris scoops this behind for a couple. Two dropped catches now for New Zealand today. Babar made them pay for that dropped chance in the first over and now Haris has been put down. 26 to win from 24 balls.

Santner with the ball. Haris drives over extra cover and good work by Santner in the deep keeps it to a couple. Nine runs from the over. Haris gets a top edge on the sweep but it lands safe behind the keeper for a single.

Sodhi bowls out. Rizwan sweeps again from wide outside off for a single behind square. Haris misses the reverse-sweep next ball. LBW appeal is turned down but Williamson reviews it as time runs out for the Kiwis. Impact is outside off and Haris survives. NZ one review down. Fifty up for Rizwan too off 36 balls. Just 40 needed now off 36 balls.

Boult is back. Good length ball down leg and Rizwan whips it off his hips to fine-leg for a single. OUT! Finally a wicket as Babar has to go, caught in the deep by Mitchell, who looks animated after taking the catch. Haris in at three. FOUR! Haris ends the over with a boundary and gets off the mark in style.

Sodhi bowls his third. Turns one away from Rizwan and beats his outside edge. Rizwan whips one on leg-side for a single off the backfoot and hundred up for Pakistan in 11.4 overs. Babar guides one down the ground for one more. Rizwan sweeps this from wide outside off for just a single.

Ferguson is back into the attack. Starts off with a wide. Rizwan dabs this back of a length delivery on the off for a single. Guided by Babar to deep third for one more. Extra bounce and Rizwan splices this to deep third for a single. FOUR! Short and punished by Babar over midwicket with a jab. Full on the pads, Babar flicks it off his pads and comes back for a second as Mitchell misfields. Fifty up for Babar off 38 balls!

Sodhi here. Rizwan scoops this very fine for three more. Babar rocks back and pulls for a single at deep midwicket. FOUR! Leg-spinner and Babar cuts this to the boundary behind point. He backs away outside leg and pierces the gap in front of point this for two more.

Santner continues. Rizwan gets a couple at deep square with a crisp sweep. Babar and Rizwan are not taking too many risks against the spinners, having already gotten off to a flyer in the PowerPlay. Seven runs from the over.

Ish Sodhi from the other end. Fullish and straight and Babar gets an inside edge onto his pads as he defends this close to his body. Tidy over from Sodhi so far. Just four singles and the dot. Another single to end the over.

Santner into the attack. FOUR! Short and outside leg stump, Rizwan rocks back and pulls it to the fine-leg boundary. Appeal for LBW but turned down! Williamson reviews. This looked straight but DRS shows the ball would have missed the top of the stumps by quite a distance.

Ferguson continues. Babar turns it short one away to deep square for a single. Short of a length, shaping into the pads and Rizwan misses the flick. FOUR! Top edge on the pull for Babar and that runs away over the keeper and to the boundary. Fifty up for Pakistan in 5.3 overs. Single at deep square for Rizwan and that’s the end of the PowerPlay.

Southee with the ball. FOUR! Full outside off and Rizwan hammers that over midwicket for a boundary. FOUR! Back-to-back fours as Rizwan smashes this one again over the same region for a boundary. Rizwan has hared off in this chase while Babar is still trying to find his rhythm. FOUR! Full on the pads and Babar whips this with disdain to the square leg fence. Tucked off his hips for a single last ball.

Ferguson into the attack. FOUR! Full and straight and drilled down the ground for a boundary. Eight runs from the over.

Boult continues. Width and room outside off again and Babar latches on it and sends that through cover and point for his first boundary. FOUR! Full on the pads and Rizwan works it towards the fine-leg boundary. Easy runs for Pakistan. Full again and Rizwan drives through the covers for a couple more. FOUR! Short and wide again and slapped over point by Rizwan for the second boundary in the over.

Southee from the other end. Shaping away from Rizwan and he guides it to point. Another quick single next ball. Babar on strike. Will he make make the Kiwis pay for that dropped chance? Going down leg-side and it seems to have clipped the pad so it won’t be a wide. Well defended by Babar. Length on middle and flicked to mid-on for a single.

Babar and Rizwan will begin the chase. Boult will start with the new ball. FOUR! Short and wide and Rizwan slashes this through covers for four first ball. Pushed to mid-on by Rizwan for one more. Outside edge first ball that Babar faces and Conway dives but fails to hold on to this low catch. Slashed by Rizwan again for one more.

Naseem bowls the final over. Neesham works this yorker to long-on for a couple. Neesham misses the pull, deceived by the lack of pace and runs for one bye. Mitchell slogs this on leg-side but gets only a single as the ball lands short of deep midwicket. Good yorker and Neesham misses the flick and only gets a leg-bye. Slower bouncer again and Mitchell is again too early into the pull and launches it high in the air, which allows him to come back for a second. Mitchell misses the last ball as he looks to scoop it and has to run for a bye.

Rauf bowls. Slow and short-of-a-length, Neesham pulls it for a single. Drilled down the ground by Mitchell for a couple more. Tailing into the pads and Mitchell misses the whip on leg-side and gets a leg-bye. FOUR! Full on the pads and Neesham flicks this to the fine-leg fence. Crucial boundary for NZ as Pakistan looks to put the skids in the death overs. Off-cutter from Rauf and Neesham pushes it covers for a quick single. Waist-high full toss and turned away on leg-side for a couple. That’s a fifty for Mitchell off 32 balls.

FOUR! Naseem returns and is greeted with a boundary. Slower one pitched up outside off and Mitchell sends that crashing over a leaping cover fielder for four runs. Just two singles off the next two deliveries. Good length and pace variations from Naseem.

Shaheen bowls out. Full, shaping into Mitchell on the pads and he misses the flick and settles for one leg-bye. OUT! Williamson is knocked over. He shuffled across to scoop the ball but plays too early and misses. Neesham comes in next. Starts off with a dot and a couple. Two more twos for Neesham from the over. He finishes with 4-0-24-2.

Rauf comes back. A rare blip from Pakistan in the field today. Williamson came back for a risky couple. Rauf failed to collect the ball and fails to run Mitchell out. Ten runs from the over. The batters are running well. Four twos in the over.

Shaheen is back. Angling away wide outside off, Williamson swings and gets a bottom edge that goes to the keeper on the bounce. Perfect yorker and dug out back to the bowler. FOUR! Williamson backs away outside leg and flicks this full delivery on the legs to the fine-leg fence. Hundred up for NZ in 14.3 overs. Three singles to end the over.

Shadab bowls out. Risky single first ball by Mitchell. Three singles off the first three deliveries. Full toss on leg and Williamson can’t it away and only gets a single. SIX! Shot from Phillips! Shimmy down the track and hammers it down the ground for a maximum. Dot to end Shadab’s spell.

Wasim comes back. SIX! What a cracking shot by Williamson! Short and Williamson sents that sailing over deep square for a maximum and a crisp, crackling sound of bat hitting ball. LBW appeal next ball and turned down. Babar reviews. Seaming in from short-of-a-length and this is going high above leg-stump. Not a great review in hindsight. Searing yorker, Willamson gets low to dig it out and misses. Frail LBW appeal again and turned down. He seemed to have got a thin inside edge on that. Good comeback after that first-ball six. Just eight from it.

Naseem returns. Slow and short and Mitchell is too early into the pull and only manages a single after miscueing the shot behind towards short fine. Driven through the off by Williamson for one more. Short-arm jab by Williamson and he gets a couple at deep midwicket. Flicked to midwicket for one more as Naseem bowls another slower one. Another whip on leg-side and a couple for Mitchell to end the over.

Shadab bowls his third over. FOUR! Thick outside edge from Mitchell and the ball, in the air, lands safely behind point and just out of reach of backward point before runnning away to the boundary. A couple of twos later Mitchell comes down the track and middles this one for a boundary down the ground. Single to end the over. Much relief for NZ with 14 coming from it.

Nawaz continues. Williamson starts off with a single. Mitchell steps out, takes it on the full and punches down the ground for one. Full outside leg, Williamson shuffles and flicks to long-on for a single. Four singles now from the over. Seven from the over. A couple off the last ball as the batters run hard in the face of a boundary-drought.

Daryl Mitchell will now have a tough task ahead of him. First steady the ship and then make sure to score at a healthy rate because Sydney is still a good batting wicket. Fifty runs up for NZ in 8.2 overs. Another opportunity here and direct-hit would have seen the back of Mitchell. Shan Masood the fielder. Another fantastic over, just three from it.

Nawaz into the attack. Whipped away off the backfoot by Williamson for a single. This is turning into Phillips from back-of-a-length and the batter defends it straight to the bowler. Just two runs from the first three balls. Full toss on leg and Williamson flicks it through midwicket and comes back for a couple. Worked off his legs by Williamson towards fine for a single. OUT! Leading edge from Phillips and straight back to Nawaz. Third wicket for Pakistan and a huge blow for the Kiwis.

Glenn Phillips the next batter. Shadab has the ball. Turning away from the right-hander to pushed through the off-side for a single. One more next ball on the on-side for Williamson. FOUR! Phillips cuts this off the backfoot and finds the gap between point and backward point for his first boundary. Full now on middle and defended by Phillips. He looks to cut again but finds backward point on this occassion. Three dots in a row to end the over.

Rauf will continue. FOUR! Conway charges down the track and goes over covers with a lofted drive for a boundary. Fuller and Conway defends and runs a single. Slower one and Williamson digs this yorker length delivery to mid-on for one more. Conway pulls behind square for a couple. Good length ball on leg and Conway defends it back to the bowler. Conway hares for a single after driving slightly aerially to mid-off. Direct-hit from Shadab and Pakistan think they have got him. OUT! Conway just fails to make his ground and Pakistan has a second off the last ball of the PowerPlay.

Mohammad Wasim into the attack. Flicked by Williamson towards fine-leg and a brilliant stop at short-fine keeps it down to a single. Inside edge and Conway gets a single at square leg while he intended to play this on the off-side. Wasim pitching it a little too straight, allowing the batters to flick on leg-side with ease. However, just ones and twos still. Just seven runs from the over.

Haris Rauf into the attack. Pushed down the ground by Williamson to mid-on, well-stopped by Shadab to keep it only to a couple. Fuller and straight and Williamson gets behind the ball to defend. Tucked away behind square for a single next ball. Williamson looks comfortable with something in front of the sightscreen. Back-of-a-length from over the wicket and Conway punches down the ground for one more. Williamson drives gently to mid-off for a dot. Just four from the over so far with a ball to go. Williamson pulls out again as he continues to have an issue with some movement behind the sightscreen. Another dot to end the over.

Afridi continues. Full and driven through covers by Williamson for three runs. He found the gap to perfection. Ful, angling into Conway and going further down leg and the batter misses the flick. A half-hearted appeal for LBW and not given this time. Full on leg again and driven to mid-on. Guided by Williamson to deep third for a single. A sedate start here for New Zealand but they won’t mind it too much as long as they have wickets in hand and the likes of Phillips and Neesham to come. Just five from it.

Naseem Shah to bowl the second over. Angling away from Conway just outside off-stump and Conway it beaten trying to dab it behind point. Pushed to point for another dot ball. Three dots in a row now. FOUR! Slightly shorter and Conway pulls this in front of square for his first boundary. Almost chopped on! Good length ball, Conway defends and it goes off the toe of the bat and almost dribbles onto the stumps. FOUR! Conway steps out and lofts this over mid-on for another four.

Finn Allen and Devon Conway will open the innings. Shaheen Afridi with the new ball. Over the wicket. FOUR! What a start! Too full and Allen smacks it down the ground for a boundary. Loud appeal for LBW and given out! Allen reviews. There is a thick inside edge and Allen will survive. Another appeal for LBW next ball and given out again! And Allen reviews again. This is hitting between middle and leg-stump and Afridi strikes! This was full again and Allen swung his bat across the line and missed. Williamson comes in. Length on the pads and flicked away for a single. Conway pushes to mid-off and takes off for a quick one. Angling away outside off and Williamson pulls out of the shot at the last moment.

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.

Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

New Zealand wins the toss and elects to bat. The Kiwis are unchanged. Pakistan too goes in with the same playing XI.

Square boundaries are 61m and 71m and the straight boundary is 87m long. No grass on the wicket and Shaun Pollock reckons it can be two-paced. However, he reminds us that there have been two scores of 200-plus at the venue in this tournament.

Wicketkeeper: Devon Conway, Finn Allen

Batters: Glenn Phillips (c), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed

All-rounders: Shadab Khan (vc), Mitchell Santner

Bowlers: Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim

Team Composition: NZ 5:6 PAK Credits Left: 9.0

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryll Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has had a horror run in the tournament so far, scoring just 39 runs in five innings at an average of 7.80. He got into double digits (25) for the first time in his last match against Bangladesh.

Follow for more such insights during the match

Matches Played: 6

Team batting first won: 5

Team batting second won: 1

Average first innings winning score: 187

Mitchell Santner - 8

Tim Southee - 7

Lockie Ferguson - 7

Shadab Khan - 10

Shaheen Shah Afridi - 8

Mohammad Wasim - 7

Glenn Phillips - 195

Kane Williamson - 132

Devon Conway - 124

Shan Masood - 134

Iftikhar Ahmed - 114

Mohammad Rizwan - 103

Pakistan won by five wickets (Sharjah; October 2021)

New Zealand won by 22 runs (Mohali; March 2016)

Pakistan won by 13 runs (Pallekele; September 2012)

New Zealand won by one run (Bridgetown; May 2010)

Pakistan won by six wickets (The Oval; June 2009)

Pakistan won by six wickets (Cape Town; September 2007)

Matches played: 6

Pakistan won: 4

New Zealand won: 2

Matches played: 28

Pakistan won: 17

New Zealand won: 11

Last result: Pakistan won by five wickets (Christchurch; October 2022)

Last five results: PAK won - 4; NZ won - 1

New Zealand, cricket’s quiet achiever, and Pakistan, the game’s most unpredictable side, clash in the opening Twenty20 World Cup semifinal on Wednesday after making their way to the knockout rounds by starkly contrasting paths.

The Black Caps hammered host and champion Australia in their tournament opener, had a match washed out and lost a high-quality contest to England before reaching a fifth successive white-ball World Cup semifinal as group winner.

Pakistan’s journey started with a remarkable loss to India in front of 92,000 fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground which was followed by an equally dramatic upset at the hands of Zimbabwe and a rain-disrupted win over South Africa.

It scraped into the last four by beating Bangladesh but only after a stunning upset of South Africa by the Dutch in the final round of group matches had cleared the path.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood. Standby Players: Usman Qadir, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Martin Guptill, Lachlan Ferguson, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Trent Boult, Finn Allen.

The semifinal match between Pakistan and New Zealand will be aired LIVE on the Star Sports Network at 1:30 PM IST. The match will also be streamed LIVE on Disney+Hotstar.