The third Twenty20 International of the five-match series took place in Dunedin on Wednesday. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first against New Zealand.
The match between the two cricketing nations is scheduled to start at midnight 1 pm (midnight GMT) today, and it looks to be an exciting one.
In the third match, Tim Southee, who had taken over as captain from Kane Williamson on the field in the second, gave the captaincy to Mitchell Santner.
With Santner at the controls now, the Kiwi team has seen three changes.
Tim Seifert, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson were added to the playing eleven in lieu of Williamson, Ben Sears, and Adam Milne, respectively. Will Young replaced Williamson in the lineup, but he was unable to earn a berth in the starting eleven.
During the pre-match announcement, Pakistani cricket team skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi formally acknowledged three changes in the lineup.
The team has changed with Muhammad Nawaz replacing Aamer Jamal, Muhammad Wasim taking Usama Mir’s place, and Zaman Khan replacing Abbas Afridi.
According to AFP, Pakistani skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, who bowled first after winning the toss in the first two matches, claimed that the cloudy weather worked to his advantage.
Regarding the necessity to prevail and prolong the series, he remarked, “I think we’re ready.”
Mitchell Santner, the acting captain of New Zealand, stated he likely would have taken the first wicket as well but he was still anticipating a high-scoring game.
Regular captain Kane Williamson of the Black Caps is out for the rest of the series due to a hamstring injury. Williamson was already supposed to be rested for game three.
Tim Seifert replaces Williamson, and to bolster the bowling ranks, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson are also added.
In fifteen international matches played at Dunedin’s University Oval, New Zealand has never lost.
Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi (capt), Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Zaman, and Mohammad Nawaz are the players from Pakistan.
