KARACHI-After New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 319, the hosts lost two wickets without scoring on the fourth day of the second Test here at the National Bank Cricket Arena on Thursday.
New Zealand skipper Tim Southee declared their second innings, making Pakistan to survive three over but it was enough for the visitors to take two crucial wickets. Southee dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique on second ball of the innings that kept low. It is due to consecutive poor performances of Abdullah Shafique that Pakistan team couldn’t make a good start in any of the Test against New Zealand as well as England. It is high time, when fit and in-form record holder Test and ODI opener Abid Ali, who recently smashed three centuries in domestic cricket, must be given chance to strengthen Pakistan opening department again.
Ish Sodhi spun through nightwatchman Mir Hamza’s defence in the last over of the fourth day. At the stumps, Imam-ul-Haq was at the crease without scoring and the home team needing 319 runs for victory while Kiwis need eight wickets to win the Test match as well as the series. A defeat in the second Test will be Pakistan’s third consecutive series loss at home in a season after going down 0-1 to Australia and 0-3 to England earlier this year. No team has chased more than 314 to win a Test in Pakistan, which the home team set against Australia in Karachi 1994.
In the morning session, Pakistan in its first innings lost its final wicket with addition of just a run to overnight score of 407 when spinner Ish Sodhi had last man Abrar Ahmed trapped leg-before for nought, leaving centurion Saud Shakeel stranded on the other end. Saud was unbeaten on 125 after a marathon resistance-packed 493 minutes at the crease, hitting 17 boundaries in his maiden hundred. Spinner Ajaz Patel finished with 3 for 88 and Sodhi 3 for 95.
New Zealand, in response, played sensibly and declared their second innings ten minutes before close of the fourth day at 277 for 5 after Michael Bracewell hit a career-best 74 not out and Tom Blundell 74. New Zealand lost their first wicket in the second over of their innings when Mir Hamza bowled Conway with his first delivery. In the post-lunch session, New Zealand lost three more wickets in the space of 50 balls and 14 runs.
Pakistan had the match under control when they had New Zealand struggling at 128-4 from 76-1 at lunch, removing Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41) and Henry Nicholls (five). Latham was smartly caught off a miscued flick at short mid-wicket by Abrar Ahmed from fast bowler Naseem Shah.
With the total unmoved on 114, in the next over, Abrar Ahmed trapped Williamson leg-before. Hasan Ali had Nicholls caught soon after as New Zealand lost three wickets off 50 balls for 14 runs. Michael Bracewell and Tom Blundell took the score to 255 and lead to 296 before Blundell lost his wicket trying to accelerate the run rate.
Scores in brief
PAKISTAN 408 and 0-2 (Ish Sodhi 1-0, Tim Southee 1-0) need 319 runs to beat NEW ZEALAND 449 and 277-5d (Michael Bracewell 74*, Tom Blundell 74; Mir Hamza 1-38, Hasan Ali 1-39).