New Zealand will lock horns with Pakistan in one of the most anticipated matches of this World Cup. The first Semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 will take place at Sydney Cricket Ground on the 9th of November (Wednesday).
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New Zealand
The Kiwis finished on the top of the points table in Group 1, where they first got better of Australia in the opener, then Sri Lanka and later, Ireland to progress to the next stage. Their game against Afghanistan was washed out due to rain, and the only loss they conceded was against England. The team looks solid, with Glenn Philips in great form.
The only concern was the form of their skipper, who also regained his form and smashed a 35-ball 61 in the previous game. Their bowling looks formidable and will be a real threat to the Pakistan batters.
Pakistan
The Men in Green got very lucky and progressed to the semi-finals stage miraculously. After being down and out, they would have lost all hopes, but a sensational victory by the Dutch over South Africa ensured they made it through.Â
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With three wins in five matches, they somehow finished second on the table. But it didn’t look easy at first, as they were two matches down after losing to India and Zimbabwe in consecutive shockers. But some grit shown by them against the Netherlands, South Africa and Bangladesh ensured they are still in the competition.
Match Details
Match: New Zealand v Pakistan (Semi-Final)
Tournament: ICC T20 World Cup 2022
Venue: SCG, Melbourne
Date & Time: 9th November, 1:30 PM IST
Head-to-Head:
Total Matches Played: 28
Pakistan have won: 17
New Zealand have won: 11
Pitch Report
The pitch is expected to provide decent support to both the batters and the bowlers. The spinner will play an important role in the middle over and will try to make use of the long boundaries at this venue. The team winning the toss might look to bowl first and chase down the target under lights, in the second innings.
Probable Playing XIs
New Zealand: Kane Williamson(C), Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, DJ Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, LH Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Pakistan: Babar Azam(C), Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, SH Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
Probable Winners
Both teams are well-balanced and it’s hard to choose a winner. There is a big question mark on which Pakistan side will turn up, having said that New Zealand is a consistent team and could end up winning this all-important encounter.
Read More: Will History Repeat Itself for Pakistan?
