Pakistan won the toss and batted first, starting with aggression as Saim Ayub attacked early. But Lockie Ferguson struck twice in the second over, removing Ayub LBW and bowling Babar Azam first ball with a beauty.
The crowd came alive with Fakhar Zaman’s fearless cameo — 24 off just 5 balls, including three consecutive sixes off Ferguson — but his fireworks ended quickly against Adam Milne. From there, New Zealand’s spinners took charge. Mitchell Santner led the way with 3/15, dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed, Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, while run-outs piled on Pakistan’s misery. They folded for just 103 all out.
The chase began poorly for New Zealand, with Seifert gone for a golden duck. Then came a dream spell from Abbas Afridi (5/15), ripping through the Kiwi top order to leave them reeling at 28/5. Pakistan were suddenly in complete control.
But cricket had another twist. Lockie Ferguson turned hero with the bat, counter-attacking brilliantly. He smashed a rapid 50 off 19 balls, while captain Mitchell Santner provided the finishing touch, hammering 15 off 5 balls and sealing victory with a six in the final over.
New Zealand clinched a tense win by 4 wickets, going 1-0 up in the series. Ferguson’s all-round brilliance and Santner’s composure proved the difference, while Abbas Afridi was the lone bright spot for Pakistan in an otherwise disappointing outing.