WELLINGTON: New Zealand decisively defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20I at Sky Stadium on March 26, 2025. This victory not only solidified their position in the series but also showcased standout performances from James Neesham and Tim Seifert, leading the Kiwis to clinch the series 4-1.
Invited to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan struggled early in their innings. Jacob Duffy made his mark early, dismissing opener Hasan Nawaz for a duck on just the second delivery of the match. The young batsman's poor form continued, as he faced three balls before heading back to the pavilion, marking his third duck of the tour. A further blow came when Ben Sears removed Mohammad Haris for just 11 runs off 17 balls, leaving Pakistan reeling at 27 for three after the powerplay overs.
The pressure escalated for Pakistan when Duffy struck again, this time dismissing Omair Bin Yousuf for just seven runs. Fortunately for Pakistan, the skipper, Salman Ali Agha, found some stability amidst the chaos, putting on a significant partnership with Shadab Khan. Together, they added 54 runs for the sixth wicket, attempting to pull the innings back together. Shadab scored 28 runs off 20 balls, with five boundaries to his credit, before becoming one of Neesham's victims.
Neesham's spell was nothing short of spectacular; he claimed five wickets for just 22 runs in four overs. His wickets included Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, and ultimately the top scorer for Pakistan, Agha, who managed to put together 51 runs off 39 balls before falling to Neesham's impressive bowling. As a result, Pakistan could only muster a modest total of 128 for nine in their allocated 20 overs, leaving them short of a competitive score.
In the second innings, New Zealand's chase began explosively. Seifert, in particular, was ruthless, showcasing stellar form right from the start. Together with Finn Allen, the duo notched up 93 runs for the opening wicket. Seifert hit a barrage of boundaries, including ten sixes and eight fours, in his blistering knock of 97 runs that came off just 38 deliveries. The explosive innings allowed New Zealand to swiftly cross the 50-run mark within the fourth over of their innings.
Sufiyan Muqeem managed to break the partnership by dismissing Allen for 27 runs off just 12 balls. However, as Allen returned to the dugout, Seifert remained relentless, hitting multiple sixes and putting New Zealand firmly in the driving seat. Despite losing Mark Chapman to Muqeem's bowling, there was little that Pakistan could do to curb Seifert's momentum.
The match wound toward a conclusion with New Zealand overpowering Pakistan, chasing down the 129-run target with ten overs to spare. The victory reaffirmed not just a successful series for New Zealand but also showcased Neesham's exceptional bowling performance, marking his maiden T20I five-wicket haul. With this achievement, Neesham became the second New Zealand bowler to achieve the feat against Pakistan in T20Is, joining the ranks of Tim Southee.
The final match encapsulated a disappointing tour for Pakistan, who will now reflect on their performances and strategize to bounce back stronger in future encounters. With their IPL players absent during this series, they have much to consider as they head back home. New Zealand, on the other hand, celebrates a comprehensive 4-1 series victory, bolstered by outstanding individual performances.
As excitement builds for their next engagements, both teams will be looking to learn from this series—New Zealand looking to maintain their momentum and Pakistan eager to recover from a challenging tour.
