164/5 (18.5)
CR : 8.71
CR : 0.00
Match Abandoned
18.4
1
H Rauf to M Chapman
Fuller down the leg. Chapman makes room and drives it to covers for a single.
18.5
W
H Rauf to R Ravindra
IN THE AIR AND SKIPPER BABAR AZAM TAKES IT!! Rauf rolls his finger on the ball and bowls a slower delivery around the off-stump line. Ravindra goes for a big heave but gets it off the toe end of the bat as the ball balloons up in the air, and Babar Azam stationed at short extra covers settles underneath the ball and pouches it safely.
R Ravindra 8(12)
c B Azam b H Rauf
4s/6s
0/0
SR
66.67
Cole McConchie
31 yrs
Best17
Innings6
Runs44
SR118.92
Avg14.67
10:55 PM IST | Just as Cole McConchie was walking out to bat, the Umpires have asked to bring the covers on. It is pouring down at Rawalpindi at the moment and we will have a stoppage in play. The crowd is also trying to find some shelter inside the stands.
10: 59 PM IST | It is not only raining in Rawalpindi now. We have a hailstorm here in the summer season. Unbelievable sight truly. The entire stadium has turned white.
11:32 PM IST | The live picture from Rawalpindi shows the rain has stopped and the groundsmen are hovering around the pitch, assessing the conditions. It's water all over the ground and Groundsmen have loads of work ahead.
11:36 PM IST | Bad news, folks! The match has been called off.
11: 38 PM IST | So, rain has played the spoilsport here and the fourth T20I between Pakistan & New Zealand has been called off. New Zealand’s innings will be halted on 164/5 in 18.5 overs and Pakistan will maintain the lead of 2-1 in the five-match series. After reeling at 54/3 at one stage, crucial contributions from Mark Chapman and Chad Bowes aided New Zealand to come back into the contest on what seemed like a two-paced surface in Rawalpindi.
Skipper Tom Latham and Chad Bowes shepherded the innings for New Zealand on an electrifying note. The southpaw Latham went after Shaheen Afridi and swatted 13 runs off the first over which included three boundaries to his credit. The right-hander Chad Bowes also pushed the pedal from the other end and kept the scorecard moving at a swift rate.
The left-right duo was exploiting the Rawalpindi surface before Imad Wasim was introduced into the attack. The left-arm spinner changed the entire complexion of the game. Imad first dismissed skipper Latham for 13(8) before getting rid of Will Young 6(8) in his following over. As a result, New Zealand was positioned at 50/2 at the end of the powerplay. Wasim’s carnage did not cease with two wickets as he bagged the massive wicket of Daryl Mitchell 3(6) right after the powerplay.
After losing three quick wickets inside the halfway stage, in-form Mark Chapman joined forces with Chad Bowes to resurrect the New Zealand innings. The duo soaked up the pressure and kept tapping for singles and doubles. However, it wasn’t long enough before Bowes broke the shackles and attacked Shadab Khan in the 12th over.The Canterbury batter registered his maiden half-century in T20I cricket before Shaheen halted his progress. The left-armer dismissed Bowes on 54(38) with a brilliant catch on his follow-through and broke the 54-run stand between Bowes and Chapman.
Just when the runs were starting to dry up in the backend of the innings, Chapman went on an assault in the 17th over of Zaman Khan and ensured New Zealand secured 18 runs off that over. Chapman also brought up his second half-century of the series in that over. Rachin Ravindra, who was playing the second fiddle to Chapman, was outdone by a slower delivery of Haris Rauf and had to walk back for 8(12) before it started hailing in Rawalpindi.
Imad Wasim bowled an exceptional spell of 3/19 in the early stages of the game while Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi also extracted a wicket. So, Pakistan cannot lose the series from this stage after the fourth game is abandoned. New Zealand would aim to draw the series in the fifth and the final T20I.
Sadly, it's the end of the road for today's game as the heavens have opened up and the rain has forced an abrupt halt to the action. A dampener for the passionate cricket fans and the spectators who gathered at Rawalpindi with high hopes of an exciting game. Nevertheless, Pakistan still leads the series 2-1 and will lock horns with the Kiwis once again on the 24th of April for the series decider. Let's keep our fingers crossed for clear skies and a thrilling encounter.
Deepak Prakash here signing off on behalf of Megh Mandaliya and scorer Yogesh Kumar. CHEERS!
Deepak Prakash here signing off on behalf of Megh Mandaliya and scorer Yogesh Kumar. CHEERS!