Pakistan Achieves Thrilling Comeback as Hasan Nawaz Scores Record Century in 3rd T20I against New Zealand

Pakistan gave a breathtaking performance in the third T20I against New Zealand, winning a crucial game and staying in contention in the five-match series. The match in Auckland witnessed a firecracker batting display by Hasan Nawaz, who wrote himself into the record books with a record century. This nail-biting thriller showed the mettle of Pakistan as they pursued a mammoth total of 205 in 16 overs, leaving the New Zealand team and their home fans agog. A Must-Win Match for Pakistan

Pakistan were back-footed in this game, having lost the first two games of the series already. Losing this game would have been it for them, and winning a series would have been impossible. Getting the tensions fired up, this was Pakistan's inaugural T20I series with newly appointed captain Salman Ali Agha. The team had lost their rhythm, and they needed an out-of-the-world performance to rescue themselves.

New Zealand, on their part, had set themselves up nicely in the first two games and wished to wrap up the series by claiming victory once more. But Pakistan had a surprise in store and mounted a thrilling run chase, spearheaded by their big-hitting top-order batsmen. 

New Zealand Strong Batting Start

New Zealand opted to bat first and scored an ominous 204 runs against Pakistan, leaving the other side struggling.

New Zealand's batting was led by Mark Chapman, who played a masterful innings as he played 94 off 44 deliveries. Chapman's keen batting allowed New Zealand to maintain a high run rate in their innings. Having Pakistan's effective bowling attack, New Zealand enjoyed the comfort of playing on home grounds and built up a score to be proud of. Pakistan's Blazing Chase Led by Hasan Nawaz

Pakistan's pursuit started in style as opener Mohammad Haris dominated the New Zealand bowlers. Haris thrashed a 41 of only 20 balls in the powerplay, and that gave the tone to the innings. His attacking start enabled Hasan Nawaz to play his innings at ease.

After Haris was dismissed, Nawaz picked up the mantle of the pursuit.

He batted a stupendous innings, scoring his half-century in barely any time at all before going on to accelerate even more. He was completely in command of the New Zealand bowling as he dispatched balls in every corner of the field. The stupendous knock by Nawaz positioned him to his century off 44 deliveries, the quickest T20I hundred by any Pakistani. His tidy batting and calm demeanor led Pakistan sail to the target without any difficulty. A Record-Breaking Performance

Hasan Nawaz's century was a record one in several ways other than the speed with which he scored it; it was in that it marked a breathtaking reversal for Pakistan in the series. His un-scored hundred was the deciding factor in Pakistan's successful pursuit, and it led the team home nine wickets ahead of time. It was one of Pakistan's biggest T20I victories in recent history, continuing to demonstrate their skill under pressure to turn matches around.

Series Still Alive

With this solid victory, Pakistan are 1-2 down in the five-match series. The win keeps their dreams alive to win an unusual T20I series against a top-eight ranked nation, which they had last achieved in 2021. The pressure has now shifted as both nations await the fourth match, with Pakistan hoping to tie the series and New Zealand hoping to secure the match.

Looking Ahead

Pakistan's return in the third T20I will provide them with an immense confidence boost as they go into the next game. Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris's remarkable performances have reinforced their batting lineup, and their bowling line-up will try to make some changes to curb New Zealand batsmen in the upcoming games.

For New Zealand, this defeat has come as a wake-up call. Even though they batted exquisitely, their bowling unit was not able to keep Pakistan's aggressive batsmen in check. Now, they have two matches left in the series and need to make some changes and find ways of playing Pakistan with the additional confidence that they have now.

The stage is all laid out for a thrilling fourth T20I, where Pakistan will try to carry on their fightback and force the series-decider to a fifth game. Can the momentum be kept going for Pakistan, or will New Zealand sweep them away? The world is waiting for the next installment of this exciting series.