Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 53 from 35 deliveries helped New Zealand rebound from early setbacks to reach 152/4 against Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the SCG in Sydney on Wednesday.
When Mitchell joined skipper Kane Williamson at the crease, New Zealand had lost three important wickets for 49 runs. Mitchell took command right immediately, while Williamson played second fiddle, as the two put up a 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
T20 World Cup: 1st Semi final
Williamson was out for 46 from 42 deliveries as their innings reached the final over, but Mitchell persevered and smashed 53* from 35 deliveries to help New Zealand reach 150. With statistics of 4-0-24-2, Pakistan’s pick of the bowlers was Shaheen Afridi. However, the entire team performed a disciplined effort on a well-worn track, limiting the Kiwis to a chase-able target.
Kane Williamson: We’re going to have a bat. This is an old surface with little vegetation on it. We’ll be working with the same group. I believe it’s the same pitch but different. It is critical that we adapt to changing situations and assess rapidly. Because there are a few unknowns, it is critical that we keep to our plans. Our emphasis is on this game, what we want to do here, and how we can truly express ourselves via the cricket we’ve been playing.
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Babar Azam: We would have batted first as well. We’ll aim to capitalize on the early conditions and apply pressure on them. The same group. We lost our first two games, but the way the squad has played in the following three games has given us confidence, and we’ll want to continue that momentum ahead. New Zealand has talented players; we’ll attempt to remain cool and play to the circumstance. We’re attempting to concentrate on this game.