Pakistan vs New Zealand, 1st Test at Abu Dhabi, Day 2: Pakistan in control at 471 for 3 at tea

By Indrajit Dutta

Nov 10, 2014

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Pakistan were 471 for three on the second day of the opening Test at Abu Dhabi on Monday at tea. Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan are at the crease on 44 and 65  respectively. Azhar Ali made 87 before he was clean bowled by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.

Pakistan have been in complete control from the commencement of play on Monday and this continued into the session between lunch and tea. Toward the end of the session between lunch and tea they increased the rate of scoring. A declaration could be in the offing very soon.

Azhar looked set to bring up his eight Test hundred before he failed to read a ball that spun away from Ish Sodhi. He  had shown a great deal of application during this particular knock.  Azhar Ali’s dismissal brought Misbah ul Haq to the crease. Younis Khan and he batted well as they ensured Pakistan went into tea without losing any more wickets. Younis brought up his half-century off Ish Sodhi with a flick and looks good to add many more.

Corey Anderson continued to bowl well as he mixed it up, throwing in bouncers with cutters and yorkers. Ish Sodhi, the solitary wicket apart, could not do much. Apart from Azhar the other batsman to have fallen is Ahmed Shehzad who made 176 before he was out hit-wicket off Corey Anderson. The New Zealand fielding too let them down. Misbah ul Haq was dropped on 21. The Pakistani skipper was seen trying to hit out on numerous occasions.

Earlier the New Zealand bowlers led by Tim Southee toiled hard but their efforts went unrewarded. On a pitch which has very little for the bowlers they stuck to a good line and length but could not make the breakthrough. At one times one saw a short cover and short mid on. Brendon McCullum, New Zealand skipper often in the first session employed field seen often in One-Day internationals.

The Kiwi bowlers tried numerous things but to no avail. Trent Boult went round the wicket as he tried to swing it in and get the batsmen either bowled or leg-before.  He, however, had no success. The off-spinner Mark Craig was brought on within the first ten overs of the day. He too had no impact. Craig too went round the wicket but could not produce the desired result. Even Tim Southee tried bowling from round the wicket for sometime but again nothing came off it.

Southee even tried to throw in a  few short deliveries but that did not work too.  The bowlers stuck to a line mostly outside the off-stump although on occasions Southee drifted down the leg-side. The Pakistani batsmen showed  a lot of determination and did not do throw their wickets away.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 471 for 3 (Ahmed Shehzad 176, Younis Khan 65* ; Corey Anderson 2 for 60).

(Indrajit Dutta is a reporter with CricketCountry. He is also a published poet and author. His Twitter handle is @duttaindro)