KARACHI: New Zealand pushed Pakistan on the backfoot in the second Test as they grabbed three early wickets after posting a mammoth first-inning total of 449 on the second day, here at National Bank Cricket Arena on Tuesday.
Imam-ul Haq and Saud Shakeel stayed solid on the crease as the two built a 55-run partnership on the fourth wicket to take Pakistan to 154/3 at the close of the day’s play.
Tailenders Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel raised a strong last-wicket stand of 104 runs before taking a wicket each to keep New Zealand in command over Pakistan.
Pakistan went through an unwanted start to their innings as opener Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood were dismissed on paltry scores of 19 and 20, respectively.
Imam and skipper Babar Azam tried to avert the looming crisis for Pakistan as they gathered 43 runs for the third wicket before a disastrous mix-up cost the in-form Pakistan captain his wicket as both batters ended up on the same end while attempting a third run.
Following Babar’s unfortunate dismissal for 24, Saud trod extra cautiously as he took 42 balls to get off the mark and managed an unbeaten 13 from 75 balls at the stumps. Imam, however, reached his seventh Test fifty and remained not out at 74 on the other end.
Earlier, New Zealand’s number 10 Henry played a valiant knock of unbeaten 68 from 81 balls while Ajaz made 35 from 78 balls as the two refused to bow down in front of the Pakistan bowling attack after New Zealand were once reduced to 345/9 in the first session.
Starting the day on 309/6, New Zealand added 140 runs to the total before they were bundled out by Pakistan after the lunch interval.
Pakistan found their first breakthrough early in the day when Naseem Shah crashed the stumps of Ish Sodhi, who failed to get off the mark from overnight 11.
Tom Blundell, however, completed his fifty, resuming from the previous day’s score of 30, before he was bowled out by Abrar Ahmed, who then went on to book skipper Tim Southee for 10 from 37 balls.
The leg spinner broke the glaring tenth-wicket partnership between Ajaz and Henry as he dismissed the former in the afternoon session.
Overall, the leg spinner bagged four wickets in the first innings while Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha took three scalps each.
