Santner praises Pakistan despite series loss in Dunedin

• New Zealand won the T20I series 3-0 despite Pakistan’s valiant effort.
• Mitchell Santner praises Pakistan’s overall strength despite the series loss.
• Allen’s record-breaking ton (137) powered New Zealand to victory.

Despite the Pakistani squad’s T20I series loss over the host team in Dunedin on Wednesday, Mitchell Santner, an all-rounder for New Zealand, praised them.

As New Zealand gained an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, Pakistan lost the match by 45 runs.

Santner asserted, nonetheless, that Pakistan is a stronger squad than the result indicates.

“Pakistan are a very good team and they’ve shown that when they’ve come here and wherever we play them,” Santner said after the match.

It should be mentioned that in the third Twenty20 International, New Zealand gave Pakistan a difficult goal of 225 runs after Finn Allen hammered 137 runs in 62 balls.

Although Babar Azam hit his third successive fifty of the series with 58 off 37 in reply, it was insufficient to get Pakistan across the finish line.

Pakistan’s pursuit was derailed by a string of wickets, as they lost four players for just 39 runs after reaching 95 for two in the eleventh over.

With two fours and as many maximums, Mohammad Nawaz amassed 28 runs in 15 balls.

Santner had a cost-effective performance, capturing one wicket in four overs at a cost of 26 runs.

In the men’s T20Is, Allen put an end to Pakistan with the highest individual score for New Zealand, beating the previous record of 123 established by Brendon McCullum. In men’s T20Is, he also scored the equal-highest number of sixes—16—in one innings.

On a miserable day with the ball for Pakistan, Rauf gave up 60 runs in his four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz gave away 44 and Shaheen Afridi 43.

The final two games are on Friday and Sunday in Christchurch.

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