Finn Allen and Tim Seifert gave them a strong win over Pakistan, New Zealand takes lead 2-0

New Zealand's dominance in the powerplay made all the difference! Their aggressive batting and sharp bowling put Pakistan on the back foot early, making it tough for the visitors to recover. With a 2-0 lead in the series, NZ has all the momentum now. New Zealand's explosive start with both bat and ball really set the tone for this match. Duffy, Sears, and Sodhi breaking Pakistan early made it an uphill battle, and then Allen and Seifert made the chase look effortless. Pakistan showed some fight with Salman Agha’s knock and economical spells from Khushdil and Rauf, but they’ll need a much stronger overall performance in Auckland to keep the series alive. New Zealand’s disciplined bowling, especially with the new ball, really set the tone. Duffy and Sears struck early, and Sodhi’s impact in the middle overs made sure Pakistan never really recovered. Even though Agha, Shadab, and Shaheen tried to inject some late energy, 135 in 15 overs was always going to be below par against NZ’s batting firepower. Bracewell’s captaincy was spot on, and his recognition of how the conditions helped the bowlers shows NZ’s tactical awareness. New Zealand's intent was clear from the start, despite Afridi's excellent maiden over. Allen and Seifert completely dismantled Pakistan's attack with their six-hitting spree, making the chase a mere formality. That third over, where Seifert took Afridi apart, was a statement—NZ were here to finish things fast. Even though both openers fell before reaching fifty, they had already done the damage. With just 48 needed from eight overs, it was always going to be a walk in the park from there. New Zealand 137 for 5 (Seifert 45, Allen 38, Rauf 2-20) beat Pakistan 135 for 9 (Agha 46, Sodhi 2-17, Duffy 2-20, Sears 2-23) by five wickets