Bizarre floodlight failure halts Pakistan vs New Zealand 3rd ODI (screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: The final ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand on Saturday took an unexpected twist during the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when the floodlights at Bay Oval suddenly went out mid-delivery, leaving the players, umpires, and fans stunned.
As Jacob Duffy steamed in to bowl to Tayyab Tahir with Pakistan clinging on at 218-8, the lights unexpectedly failed just as the ball was delivered.
In total darkness, Tahir instinctively walked away while the ball narrowly missed the stumps and reportedly trickled to the boundary.
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What followed was a moment of confusion and a few nervy chuckles.
The umpires quickly called for a halt, and after a brief delay, power was restored.
The incident went viral on social media almost instantly, with fans sharing clips of the surreal moment.
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This bizarre interruption summed up Pakistan’s tour, which has been anything but smooth.
After already losing the T20I series 4-1 and the ODI series 3-0, Pakistan’s woes continued despite flashes of resistance.
Babar Azam (50), Abdullah Shafique (33), and Mohammad Rizwan (37) gave the chase a solid base, but once again, the middle and lower order crumbled under pressure.
Tayyab Tahir’s dismissal on 33 in the very same 39th over — caught by Seifert — sealed Pakistan’s fate as they folded for 221, chasing 265.
Earlier in the match, another dramatic moment occurred when Imam-ul-Haq retired hurt after a direct throw struck his helmet grille, forcing him off the field.
Despite these setbacks, Pakistan looked in control midway through the chase, only for Ben Sears’ fiery five-wicket haul and Duffy’s clutch bowling to derail them once again.
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