Rizwan Suffers Hamstring Injury as Babar Azam Promises Lessons from Pakistan’s Defeat
Pakistan vs New Zealand Match Summary
In the third T20I match against New Zealand in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan was compelled to retire hurt at 22, contributing to a subpar total of 178/4. Despite their efforts, Pakistan’s score fell short as Mark Chapman’s unbeaten innings led New Zealand to victory with 10 balls to spare.
Mark Chapman’s exceptional performance helped New Zealand equalize the series. Check out the highlights here: Match Highlights Match Photos
The severity of Rizwan’s hamstring injury remains undisclosed. However, Pakistan decided not to risk their seasoned wicket-keeper, who retired midway through his innings and took no further part in the match, especially with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup just six weeks away.
Shadab Khan (41) and Irfan Khan (30*) stepped up to add some late momentum to Pakistan’s innings. However, Babar Azam, who scored a steady 37, admitted that his team fell short of a competitive score after New Zealand’s captain, Michael Bracewell, won the toss and elected to field first.
Babar Azam reflected on the match, “Our batting wasn’t too bad. We managed to catch up later on, but I believe we were 10 runs short. Rizwan’s injury was a setback, and it’s always challenging for a new batter to adjust quickly. However, Shadab and Irfan’s partnership helped us recover. A par score at this venue is between 180 to 190, so I think we did reasonably well in batting.”
Check out the pacers in action here: Pacers in Action
Despite early wickets from pacers Abbas Afridi (2/27) and Naseem Shah (1/44), Pakistan’s chances were marred by sloppy bowling and numerous dropped catches.
Babar admitted, “We started well in the early overs, but dropped catches can change the game, especially when you drop a set batter like Mark Chapman, who consistently performs well against us. Additionally, our bowling was not up to the mark, which we acknowledge and will strive to improve in the upcoming games.”
With the series tied at 1-1, the teams now move to Lahore for the final two matches, with the next game scheduled for Thursday.