Despite losing six matches on the trot in what has been a disastrous limited-overs tour, Pakistan is now one T20 win away from actually levelling it at one series a piece.
Winning Sunday’s game at Mount Maunganui would mean that Pakistan would not only be salvaging the tour despite being outplayed for almost its entirety, they would also take the number one ranking in T20s back from New Zealand.
Even so, the fact remains that Pakistan has put in 90 minutes and twenty overs’ worth of good enough batting display over the past four weeks, and the bowling hasn’t exactly set the world afire either.
But the overpowering win in the second T20 does bring Pakistan into contention, even if New Zealand would still start as the comfortable favourites in the decider.
When you’re off the back of a win – and a convincing one at that – the strategy for the next one writes itself: more of the same.
It’s safe to say that if Pakistan conjures a similar batting performance and score over 200 in the third T20, they would stand a great chance to bag the series – even though 200 is chase-able for this New Zealand batting lineup.
Should the top four for Pakistan fire in a similar fashion – three of them scoring over 40 runs at a strike rate of over 170 – that score is absolutely achievable. However, consistency has never been Pakistan’s forte with the bat, even if the team finished last year as the top-ranked T20 side in the world.
While Fakhar Zaman has come back among the runs on the tour, and even made contributions in the ODI whitewash, while everyone else just fell apart, it is the other three members of the abovementioned top four whose runs are particularly encouraging.
At the top of this list would be Babar Azam, who has been criticised – in this space as well – for not having sufficiently aggressive intent, even when he might be getting runs, scored a decisive half-century to help propel Pakistan to over 200.
Babar was equally supported by captain Sarfraz Ahmed who has been especially under the gun owing to his failures with the bat and the inability to go big – both of which he addressed in his innings.
Ahmed Shehzad playing a handy inning always is a double-edged sword, for no one epitomises inconsistency better than he has throughout this decade. But while he shouldn’t be considered for the ODIs anytime soon, he has scored runs in T20s – both international and the PSL.
And so, should Pakistan bat first in the third T20 the approach to the game would be more of the same. However, bigger question-marks are slashed when they’re chasing.
Even if Pakistan is batting second, they should look to approach the innings with similar intent. The team bats deep – almost till number 11 – and since long innings are not mandatory to post a sizeable total, a string of cameos can do the job.
Even so, Pakistan still has a lot to do with the ball, to improve on their showings on the tour so far. While the scoreboard pressure would’ve helped their task in the 2nd ODI, they need to be prepared to defend a smaller total or restrict New Zealand to a score that Pakistan can hunt down.
All five of Pakistan’s bowlers were among the wickets at Auckland. In the decider, Mohammed Amir and Hasan Ali would have to be at their A game. Amir especially, after struggling in the ODIs, needs to fire early and give Pakistan an early breakthrough or two.
However, the key with the ball would be young Shadab Khan. It’s a testament to his prodigious ability that he’s made himself such a crucial member of the limited-overs sides both with the bat and ball – but especially the latter.
But more than the skillset, it’s Pakistan’s temperament that would be tested in the decider. For, the visitors are one win away from transforming a disastrous tour from a decent one, where they would’ve snatched the top rankings back from New Zealand by beating them at their own turf, even if the ODI form would remain a concern.
