Match Report – IRE vs PAK 3rd T20I, May 14, 2024

Pakistan 181 for 4 (Babar 75, Rizwan 56, Mark Adair 3-28) scored Ireland 178 for 7 (Tucker 73, Balbirnie 35, Tector 30*, Shaheen 3-14, Abbas 2-43) for six wickets
But, led by a spell from Shaheen as he bowled his yorkers almost at will, Ireland collapsed. His four overs conceded 14 runs and took three wickets while his teammates played alongside him. Tucker came off the ever-tidy Imad Wasim and the men who followed him were nowhere near picking up where he left off. Ireland were bowled out for just 49 off the last seven overs as Pakistan’s form rose, and the pressure dropped.
The most important setback for Pakistan was the continuation of the slow run of Saim Ayub, the opener who went one to three in the first over. But in a sort of mid-on chase they succeed, Rizwan and Babar make the most of it, Babar staying inside while Rizwan lights up the powerplay. The two reversed roles once the bowling restrictions were lifted, and Babar benefited from George Dockrell dropping him for 19. As on Sunday, Ireland fell behind, with Babar using uninspiring bowling to navigate his way to a 42-ball 75. Ireland managed to collect late wickets as Pakistan raced towards the finish line, but the inevitable end came with three full overs to spare. .
Shaheen gets it right, and how!
After being penalized for a mistake in the second game, Shaheen retaliated with the fire of a thousand suns. The first over was typical as Balbirnie dismissed him for two boundaries, but Shaheen ended up getting all of his 18 overs at sixpence, conceding six runs and taking three wickets.
Most impressive is his ability to nail the yorker on command, first using the inswing to smash Ross Adair’s stumps. His last two overs were a showcase of pace and precision as Ireland continued to build, and Shaheen sealed the series with a performance that could be the start of his return to vintage, world-beating rhythm.
Babar – power hitter?
The confusion over who should bat in Pakistan’s top four – and in what order – summed up Pakistan’s 14th over chase. Babar, a man who is often accused of showing compassion in his batting intent, briefly hit a six in an over off Ben White.
Three soft, tossed deliveries were dispatched in a flurry, and when Babar missed a flat fourth, he made up for it by smashing another down the ground for another six. 25 in that over took his strike rate up, making for another slow start to an innings where, had Dockrell stuck to an easy chance, Babar would have been on his way to 16 balls. He hit as many sixes as all his teammates combined.
Tucker leads the way
Even Balbirnie, who was running the ball at the time, got an extra gear, ensuring that Pakistan were always under pressure as long as that partnership continued.
Tucker also ensured that a quick powerplay drop after spin never happened, highlighted by his dismissal of Saim Ayub in the tenth over. He used Pakistan’s curious decision not to bowl Imad in the first ten overs as well.
He hit three consecutive fours in Hasan’s third over, hitting him without a strike and possibly stopping him before Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad was announced. That Ireland’s gear halved so quickly after Tucker’s fall perhaps reflected the difference in class between him and the batsmen he surrounded himself with.
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000
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