Auckland, March 21 New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell tipped his hat off to Hasan Nawaz for his unbelievable batting after the right-hander scored Pakistan’s fastest-ever T20I century to help his side chase down 205 with 24 balls to spare in the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday.
The 22-year-old made his debut in the ongoing series and was dismissed for two consecutive ducks but announced himself on the international stage with a 44-ball century, breaking Babar Azam’s previous record.
Bracewell contributed a quickfire 31-run cameo in the first innings, whilst Michael Chapman’s blistering 94 propelled the Black Caps to 204 before they were bundled out on the penultimate delivery. The all-rounder also claimed it is criminal to not play out the innings in T20Is.
"Disappointed with the result. Tip your hat off to Nawaz, he was unbelievable. Pretty hard to defend here tonight, credit to him but pretty disappointed. We did not bat the full 20 overs, which is criminal in T20s. You got to tidy up, conditions change and you had to deal with it," said Bracewell in the post-match presentation.
After crushing defeats in the opening two games, Pakistan’s stellar nine-wicket victory kept the Men in Green alive in the five-game series. The right-handed opener also reflected on his innings and thanked new captain Salman Ali Agha for his backing.
"The way I got out in the first two matches, I was very disheartened, but captain and Shadab supported me, told me I am a match-winning player and that helped me. I just had in my mind that I need to score a single first in international cricket and then after that I felt relaxed and the pressure was released. I had so much backing and I am so grateful to my captain," said Nawaz.
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