Mohammad Hafeez had a memorable night as an individual in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand. He played a fantabulous knock of 99* runs off 57 balls studded with 10 boundaries and 5 sixes. But, he missed on his first international ton in the shorter format by just one run as the overs got finished. And, while walking towards the pavilion he looked in tears on missing out on such a big milestone of his cricketing career.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. But, the decision didn’t go well in their favor. The visitors’ got off to a slim start in the game. They lost their dashing opener, Haider Ali, in the 2nd over of the innings at a score of 16 runs. Asad Shafique looked unsettled against Tim Southee. The former was brilliantly caught and bowled by the latter in the same over. The Kiwi pacer was bowling at his best in the 2nd T20I. He was hitting the right and deck and got significant results in the match. He cleaned the top order of the Pakistan cricket team.
Mohammad Hafeez Plays His Best T20I Knock Against New Zealand
Then came Mohammad Hafeez, one of the most experienced batsmen current in the Pakistan team. He played a swift and world-class knock under pressure situations when his team was struggling at a score of 16 for a loss of 2 wickets. It is always a treat to watch Hafeez batting on his best days. And, in Hamilton, it was one of his finest days on the cricket field.
The host’s bowling attack took a toll on the visitors batting line-up in the beginning. But, Hafeez forced Kiwi bowlers to kneel down. He played some audacious stroke and scored a blitzkrieg knock of unbeaten 99 runs. He was quite close to scoring his 1st T20I ton. But, he was left out with no option as Imad Wasim played the final delivery of the innings.
It was a big knock coming from Mohammad Hafeez and he might have felt bad about missing out on his 1st century in the shorter format. While walking towards the pavilion he looked filled with tears that never rolled down from his cheeks.
Coming onto the game, the exceptional batting effort of Hafeez went in vain. Tim Siefert and Kane Williamson’s glorious knock guided their side to an impressive victory in the match. Now, the hosts have taken an unassailable lead in the three-match series by 2-0. And, the final affair will be played at McLean Park, Napier.
