Hasan Nawaz struck an unbeaten 105 from just 45 balls as Pakistan triumphed over New Zealand by nine wickets in the third Twenty20 international, keeping their five-match series alive.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first, reversing the trend of the first two matches, which New Zealand had won by nine and five wickets, respectively.

New Zealand posted a total of 204, but Pakistan chased it down emphatically, finishing on 207-1 with four full overs to spare—handing the hosts their heaviest T20 defeat in terms of wickets.

Nawaz, a newcomer to the international stage who had registered ducks in the first two matches of the series, showcased his talent with a maiden century. He was ably supported by captain Salman Ali Agha, who scored 51 from 31 balls in an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 133.

"I failed in the first two games, and I’m grateful to the team for backing me," Nawaz said through an interpreter. "When I went out to bat, my first aim was to score my first international run.

"Once I got off the mark, the pressure eased, and my focus shifted to winning the game."

Earlier, Mark Chapman was the standout performer for New Zealand, scoring a blistering 94 from 44 balls. His innings included 11 fours and four sixes, but he lacked support from the rest of the batting order.

Captain Michael Bracewell contributed 31, while Tim Seifert managed 19, including 16 runs from the second over. However, New Zealand struggled to build meaningful partnerships and were bowled out with one ball remaining in their 20 overs.

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf delivered a superb bowling performance, finishing with figures of 3-29 in the middle overs to restrict the hosts.

Pakistan’s selectors had shown faith in Nawaz and Mohammad Haris at the top of the order, allowing them time to acclimatise to New Zealand conditions. Their opening stands in the first two matches had yielded just a single run in each game, but on Friday, they responded emphatically with a 75-run opening partnership inside the six-over powerplay.

Haris played a crucial role in setting the tone, smashing 41 from 20 balls, including four fours and three sixes. He got Pakistan off to the rapid start they needed, launching two sixes in the opening over bowled by Kyle Jamieson as Pakistan raced to 50 within just four overs.

Jamieson, who had taken 3-8 in the first match, endured a tough outing this time, conceding 30 runs from his first two overs.