New Zealand won a delayed toss and opted to bowl in the second Twenty20 international against Pakistan on Tuesday. The match was shortened to 15 overs per side due to the late start.
Originally scheduled for 1:45 p.m. local time, the toss was postponed for nearly 90 minutes while ground staff addressed damp patches on the University Oval pitch.
New Zealand’s captain, Michael Bracewell, expressed his satisfaction with the decision to bowl first on a fresh-looking pitch that had been covered prior to the game.
The hosts made two lineup changes, bringing in fast bowler Ben Sears to replace Kyle Jamieson, who performed notably in the first match with figures of 3-8, helping New Zealand secure a nine-wicket victory. Jimmy Neesham was also included in the team, taking the place of Tim Robinson.
On the other hand, Pakistan made one change, with Haris Rauf stepping in for Abrar Ahmed. Despite losing the toss, Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha remained optimistic. “When you come to New Zealand, you know there will be extra bounce,” he stated. “We have prepared for that and we are ready.”
Lineups:
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Jacob Duffy.
Pakistan: Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Khushdil Shah, Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammed Ali.
Credit: AP News
