New Zealand vs Pakistan, 5th T20I Match Preview, Prediction and Live Streaming

Belief is a confusing thing, no one knows exactly how long it needs to be held up. Trusting becomes easier when you are aware of when to pull out. But unfortunately, it’s not the case. Just as it isn’t for Pakistan. They have a new team, full of youngsters, which finds itself facing a 3-1 demoralising defeat on their first tour. They still have a game to go, though. But there is little that the game can do to repair the damage. This was all about the on-field fiasco. There is a bigger issue waiting for them off the field, post-series. And that is: Will they decide to look past the players they very trustingly made confidants of their new strategy just a couple of weeks ago?

For New Zealand, it’s been just-a-usual-day-at-office sort of series. It didn’t do them any good. Did no bad either. Just brushed the dust off some of their second-string players and added another series trophy to their cabinet.

Team Overview:

New Zealand’s bowlers have not let the side feel Matt Henry’s absence. Jacob Duffy, particularly, has been incisive in all T20Is so far. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert yet again succeeded in establishing a solid opening stand in the fourth T20I. The batting lineup seems lighter on explosive middle-order batting, but this is not a big cause of worry for the Kiwis, with their top-order doing enough damage up front.

This game is a dead rubber, and Pakistan could use the (unwelcomed) opportunity to test some of their bench players. Usman Khan has not featured in any game for Pakistan since their tour of South Africa in December, despite being a part of the Champions Trophy squad. He could come in place of one of the openers, or at least any of the top-order batters. Pakistan would also want to test Sufiyan Muqeem in these conditions. That he is part of their ODI squad will entice Salman Ali Agha more to give him a game, likely in place of Shadab Khan. Despite the series being already locked, the visitors will have their eyes on stealing a consolation win to get a morale boost before they begin the ODI leg of the tour.

Head-to-Head Matches:

Pakistan and New Zealand have contested each other in 120 shortest-format games, with the former winning 61 of these. Leaving out the four that ended without any result, New Zealand managed to win the remaining 55 matches.

Weather and Pitch Report:

Sky Stadium has typical New Zealand conditions. Plenty for pacers, especially during this time of the year when the air is adequately chilly. That said, with its short boundaries, it’s also a batter’s darling. Glenn Maxwell broke a chair with one of his sixes here in 2021. Martin Guptill punched the ball on the roof at this very venue in the ICC ODI World Cup 2015 quarter-final. So, a high-scoring game can be expected, where bowlers won’t be entirely irrelevant.

Prediction:

Would Pakistan want a win to close off the series on whatever good terms they can? Yes. Will they get it? Doesn’t seem likely. New Zealand would want to seal the series 4-1 in a show of absolute dominance.