In the third T20I against New Zealand, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf stunned fans with a spectacular one-handed catch to dismiss opener Fin Allen. The catch occurred when Shaheen Afridi bowled to Allen, who attempted a flick shot. Despite criticism for their fielding, Rauf’s remarkable grab shone in the match. New Zealand, led by Mark Chapman’s explosive 94 runs, set a challenging target of 204. Chapman narrowly missed a century, and captain Michael Bracewell contributed 31 runs. Rauf also excelled with bowling figures of 3-29. New Zealand adjusted their lineup, adding Kyle Jamieson, who previously took three wickets in the series.
Pakistan, a team frequently criticized for its subpar fielding, witnessed pacer Haris Rauf execute one of the most remarkable catches in the team’s history. Rauf delivered a spectacular one-handed catch during the third T20I of the 5-match series against New Zealand on Friday, sending opening batter Fin Allen back to the pavilion early in the match.
Shaheen Afridi bowled a fuller delivery on the leg stump to Allen, who attempted to flick the ball past the short fine leg fielder. However, Haris, diving towards his right, transformed into a superhero as he improbably snatched the ball. Rauf’s reaction clearly indicated his disbelief at the stunning moment.
Rauf’s Gravity-Defying Grab!
Haris Rauf takes an absolutely stunning catch at short fine leg to dismiss Finn Allen early in the 3rd T20I!
Catch all the action LIVE on FanCode!#NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/8oSoGNerOf
— FanCode (@FanCode) March 21, 2025
Later in the match, New Zealand batter Mark Chapman delivered a blistering performance, scoring 94 as the hosts accumulated 204 against Pakistan, positioning themselves strongly to secure the five-match series.
Chapman dominated after New Zealand was invited to bat, exploiting the small boundaries of Eden Park as he amassed 11 fours and four sixes from just 44 balls faced.
The left-hander fell agonizingly short of a second T20 century when he mis-timed a slower delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi and was caught at short third man.
The remainder of the home team’s batsmen struggled to make an impact, apart from captain Michael Bracewell’s contribution of 31, as they were dismissed on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Veteran seamer Haris Rauf dismissed Bracewell and concluded with Pakistan’s best bowling figures of 3-29.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and seamer Abbas Afridi, both of whom were absent in Tuesday’s game two loss in Dunedin, made a strong case for their selections by claiming two wickets each.
New Zealand made one adjustment to their lineup, recalling Kyle Jamieson in place of fellow seamer Zak Foulkes.
Jamieson had taken three wickets in New Zealand’s opening match, where they emerged victorious by nine wickets in Christchurch.
With AFP Inputs
Topics mentioned in this article