Pakistan, a team that is often criticised for its poor fielding, saw pacer Haris Rauf pull off one of the finest catches in the team’s history. Rauf produced a one-handed stunner during the third T20I of the 5-match series against New Zealand on Friday to send opening batter Fin Allen packing early in the game.
Shaheen Afridi bowled a fuller deliver on the leg stump to Allen, who tried to flick the ball past the short-fine leg fielder. Haris, however, diving towards his right-hand side, turned into a superman as he plucked the ball in dramatic fashion. Rauf’s own reaction suggested that he himself couldn’t believe what had happened.
Rauf’s Gravity-Defying Grab!
Haris Rauf takes an absolute stunner at short fine leg to dismiss Finn Allen early in the 3rd T20I!
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Later in the match, New Zealand batter Mark Chapman struck a blistering 94 a the hosts scored 204 against Pakistan and moved into a strong position to clinch the five-match series.
Chapman dominated after New Zealand were asked to bat, taking advantage of the small Eden Park boundaries as he tallied 11 fours and four sixes from just 44 balls faced.
The left-hander fell agonisingly short of a second T20 century when he mistimed a slower ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi and was caught at short third man.
The rest of the home side’s batsmen struggled to get going, aside from captain Michael Bracewell’s 31, as they were dismissed from the penultimate ball.
Experienced seamer Haris Rauf bowled Bracewell and finished with Pakistan’s best figures of 3-29.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and seamer Abbas Afridi, who both missed Tuesday’s game two loss in Dunedin, justified their recalls by taking two wickets each.
New Zealand made one change, recalling Kyle Jamieson in place of fellow seamer Zak Foulkes.
Jamieson took three wickets when New Zealand won the opening match by nine wickets in Christchurch.
With AFP Inputs
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