Published: Nov 11, 2014, 04:11 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 11, 2014, 05:03 PM (IST)
By Indrajit Dutta
Nov 11, 2014
New Zealand were 186 for five against Pakistan at the end of the second session on Day 3 of the opening Test on Tuesday at Abu Dhabi. Opener Tom Latham is still at the crease with 87 to his name. He’s batted n a resolute manner throughout the day. It is he who has held this New Zealand batting line up together. Latham looks set to score a richly deserved hundred. He now has wicketkeeper BJ Watling for company who is not out on 13.
New Zealand were in trouble at 81 for three going into lunch. After the lunch they came out all guns blazing. 41 runs were scored in the first eight overs. It was the burly all-rounder Corey Anderson who took the attack to the bowlers. He was particularly severe on Yasir Shah who he swept continuously for four.
He even went after Mohammad Hafeez by going down the track on more than one occasion. In no time he had reached 48. It looked as if it would be a matter of time he would get to his half-century before Rahat Ali had him driving at one that was wide. Anderson unfortunately played on. Losing Anderson was a bad blow. He was batting well and did not look in apparent discomfort.
Jimmy Neesham hung around for some before played a reckless stroke and was stumped off the bowling off Mohammmad Hafeez. The need of the hour was patience but he instead came down the pitch and missed the ball completely only for Sarfraz to whip off the bails.
The Pakistanis bowled well but it was Anderson’s counterattack which took them by surprise. His dismissal would left them relieved. They still, however, have to get Latham out who has defended dourly against them.
New Zealand were 15 for no loss overnight with skipper Brendon McCullum and Tom Latham at the crease. At the end of the lunch session Pakistan have them on the ropes with their star batsmen McCullum, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor back in the pavilion. McCullum was out for 18, Kane Williamson for three and Taylor for a duck.
McCullum, who looked uncertain during his short stay, fell to the crafty left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar while trying to defend one that was spinning away. He only succeeded in edging the ball to first slip Younis Khan who took a good low catch.
McCullum had survived a few close calls before he Babar ultimately got him out. It was Imran Khan, the pacer, who had caused a few problems for him. There was one leg-before of an inswinger by Imran which was reviewed but the umpire ruled in McCullum’s favour. Another delivery by the same bowler clipped the pad and missed the stumps by a few inches. He would not survive for long.
Kane Williamson got off the mark with three runs off a well-timed cover drive off Babar. He, unfortunately, for the New Zealand side lasted only a few deliveries. He chopped one onto his stumps off a Rahat Ali yorker. Williamson’s dismissal was a bad blow for his side
In the end it was a stern test for the New Zealand batsmen. The Pakistani bowlers both pacers and spinners had the batsmen in a great deal of discomfort at all times. It was truly an acid test for New Zealand.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 566 for 3 decl. (Ahmed Shehzad 176, Younis Khan 100*; Corey Anderson 2 for 68) lead New Zealand 186 for 5 (Tom Latham 87 *; Zulfiqar Babar 2 for 49 ) by 380 runs.
Catch live blog of the match here
Catch live scorecard of Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st Test here
(Indrajit Dutta is a reporter with CricketCountry. He is also a published poet and author. His Twitter handle is @duttaindro)
