New Zealand have hammered Pakistan again in the ongoing five-match T20I series as they breezed past the Salman Ali Agha-led side with ease in the second T20I on Tuesday, March 18. Chasing a target of 136 in the rain-curtailed game, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen launched an assault to take down the Men in Green in a five-wicket win at University Oval, Dunedin. With this, New Zealand have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match series and are in line to clinch it.
Seifert started cautiously to see off Shaheen Afridi for a maiden first over before Allen took apart Mohammad Ali for 18 runs via three sixes. Seifert then threw caution to the wind as the opening batter slammed Shaheen for four sixes in a 26-run third over, which probably killed the chase. After three overs, the Kiwis raced away to 44/0.
Pakistan bowlers struck a few blows in the subsequent overs to try and make a comeback, however, the early carnage had kept the Blackcaps always ahead of the Men in Green. Ali took out the dangerous Seifert caught by Shaheen in the fifth over.
Allen continued the carnage mode for a bit more time as he took Jahandad Khan for two sixes and a four before being plumbed in front for an LBW.
Mark Chapman, who came in at four, didn't make the most of the party as he was dismissed for one by Khushdil Shah in the eighth over. Haris Rauf picked up a couple in subsequent overs as he delayed the inevitable by getting James Neesham and Daryl Mitchell. However, the Kiwis raced home comfortably when captain Michael Bracewell pulled Jahandad for the winning runs.
Pakistan had put up a better show with the bat as compared to their previous game when they were steamrolled for 91. Newly-appointed skipper Salman Agha slammed 46 from 28, while Shadab Khan and Shaheen hit a few lusty blows in the end to take the visitors to a decent score of 135. However, that was never enough after the assault from the openers.