New Zealand is without all-rounder Mitchell Santner in their first T20I against Pakistan after the 31-year-old tested positive for Covid-19. Pakistan’s new T20I captain won the toss in Auckland on Friday and put New Zealand to bat first. The hosts ended up compiling a mammoth 226/8 with Daryl Mitchell smashing 61 in just 27 balls.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced that Santner had self-isolated in his hotel room, and would travel onwards to Hamilton, the venue for the second T20I, on his own. “Mitch Santner won’t travel to Eden Park this evening for the opening KFC T20I against Pakistan after testing positive for COVID earlier today. He will continue to be monitored over the coming days and will travel solo home to Hamilton. #NZvPAK,” it said in a post on its X handle. Santner is a key player in the Kiwi T20I set-up, with 610 runs in 64 innings at an average of 16.94, with one half-century. He has also taken 105 wickets in 93 matches.
The absence of Santner meant that New Zealand had a longer tail, with Adam Milne coming in at No.7. However, it made little difference in the end due to Mitchell’s thunderous innings and captain Kane Williamson’s 57 off 42 balls. Finn Allen got New Zealand off to a good start after they lost Devon Conway off just the second ball of the innings. Allen smashed 35 in 15 balls, ensuring that New Zealand reach 50 inside the first five overs.
After his dismissal came a 78-run stand for the third wicket between Williamson and Mitchell which came in just 40 balls. Williamson eventually fell to Abbas Afridi but Mitchell carried on, eventually falling to Shaheen Afridi in the 17th over. Mitchell smashed four fours and as many sixes in his knock. Pakistan will now be walking out with a new opening combination. They have broken up their long standing T20I opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Babhar Azam, with the latter moving down the order to No.3
