Haq anchors Pakistan after NZ pile on 449
Published: 03:01 PM,Jan 03,2023 | EDITED : 07:01 PM,Jan 03,2023
KARACHI: Opener Imam-ul-Haq anchored Pakistan with a pugnacious half-century as the home team reached 154-3 at the close on Tuesday after New Zealand piled up a handy 449 in their first innings of the second Test in Karachi.
At the close of day two, Haq was unbeaten on 74 and Saud Shakeel 13 as the home team need another 96 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Pakistan started chaotically, losing opener Abdullah Shafique (19), Shan Masood (20) and skipper Babar Azam (24) before the Haq-Shakeel stand added 55 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket.
In contrast, New Zealand's tail wagged furiously, with Matt Henry (68 not out) and Ajaz Patel (35) both scoring Test-bests as they added an invaluable 104 runs for the last wicket.
The two-match series is tied after the first Test, also in Karachi, ended in a draw.
The National Stadium pitch offered little to the bowlers, but Pakistan did themselves no favours by having skipper Azam, the team's best batsman, run out.
Haq drove Bracewell towards mid-wicket and saw Azam stranded at his end attempting a third run.
But Haq took charge with his seventh half-century -- even as Shakeel needed 42 balls to get off the mark at the other end.
Earlier, Shafique was the first Pakistan wicket to fall when he pulled pacer Henry's short delivery straight to the hands of Ajaz Patel and Masood gave a catch off Patel.
Henry and Patel had combined earlier to lift New Zealand from 345-9.
Henry smashed eight boundaries and two sixes in his knock, improving his previous high against Australia at Christchurch in 2016 by six runs.
Patel also bettered his previous Test-best of 20 -- against England last year -- before he was the last wicket to fall, caught off spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Naseem took the day's first wicket when he bowled Ish Sodhi for 11 with a ball that cut through sharply.
Blundell, who was 30 overnight, reached his fifty with a boundary and a single off Ahmed. He hit six boundaries in his 51 before being bowled by Ahmed.
The spinner then had Tim Southee stumped for ten, before Henry and Patel prolonged the innings, helping New Zealand cross the 400-mark.
Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers with 4-149, while Naseem Shah (3-71) and Agha Salman (3-75) were the other successful bowlers. -- AFP
scoreboard
New Zealand first innings
T Latham lbw Naseem 71
D Conway c Sarfaraz b Salman 122
K Williamson c Sarfaraz b Naseem 36
H Nicholls c Sarfaraz b Salman 26
D Mitchell b Salman 3
T Blundell b Ahmed 51
M Bracewell lbw Ahmed 0
I Sodhi b Naseem 11
T Southee st Sarfaraz b Ahmed 10
M Henry not out 68
Ajaz Patel c Salman b Ahmed 35
Extras (b5, lb5, nb5, w1) 16
Total (all out, 131 overs) 449
Fall of wickets: 1-134, 2-234, 3-240, 4-255, 5-278, 6-279, 7-309, 8-340, 9-345
Bowling: Hamza 21-3-72-0, Naseem 24-7-71-3, Hasan 23-4-72-0, Ahmed 37-5-149-4, Salman 26-3-75-3
Pakistan first innings
Abdullah Shafique c Patel b Henry 19
Imam-ul-Haq not out 74
Shan Masood c Conway b Patel 20
Babar Azam run out 24
Saud Shakeel not out 13
Extras (lb2, nb2) 4
Total (for three wkts, 47 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-56, 3-99
Bowling: Southee 10-3-33-0, Henry 12-3-35-1, Patel 7-1-30-1, Bracewell 14-3-45-0, Sodhi 4-0-9-0
At the close of day two, Haq was unbeaten on 74 and Saud Shakeel 13 as the home team need another 96 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Pakistan started chaotically, losing opener Abdullah Shafique (19), Shan Masood (20) and skipper Babar Azam (24) before the Haq-Shakeel stand added 55 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket.
In contrast, New Zealand's tail wagged furiously, with Matt Henry (68 not out) and Ajaz Patel (35) both scoring Test-bests as they added an invaluable 104 runs for the last wicket.
The two-match series is tied after the first Test, also in Karachi, ended in a draw.
The National Stadium pitch offered little to the bowlers, but Pakistan did themselves no favours by having skipper Azam, the team's best batsman, run out.
Haq drove Bracewell towards mid-wicket and saw Azam stranded at his end attempting a third run.
But Haq took charge with his seventh half-century -- even as Shakeel needed 42 balls to get off the mark at the other end.
Earlier, Shafique was the first Pakistan wicket to fall when he pulled pacer Henry's short delivery straight to the hands of Ajaz Patel and Masood gave a catch off Patel.
Henry and Patel had combined earlier to lift New Zealand from 345-9.
Henry smashed eight boundaries and two sixes in his knock, improving his previous high against Australia at Christchurch in 2016 by six runs.
Patel also bettered his previous Test-best of 20 -- against England last year -- before he was the last wicket to fall, caught off spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Naseem took the day's first wicket when he bowled Ish Sodhi for 11 with a ball that cut through sharply.
Blundell, who was 30 overnight, reached his fifty with a boundary and a single off Ahmed. He hit six boundaries in his 51 before being bowled by Ahmed.
The spinner then had Tim Southee stumped for ten, before Henry and Patel prolonged the innings, helping New Zealand cross the 400-mark.
Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers with 4-149, while Naseem Shah (3-71) and Agha Salman (3-75) were the other successful bowlers. -- AFP
scoreboard
New Zealand first innings
T Latham lbw Naseem 71
D Conway c Sarfaraz b Salman 122
K Williamson c Sarfaraz b Naseem 36
H Nicholls c Sarfaraz b Salman 26
D Mitchell b Salman 3
T Blundell b Ahmed 51
M Bracewell lbw Ahmed 0
I Sodhi b Naseem 11
T Southee st Sarfaraz b Ahmed 10
M Henry not out 68
Ajaz Patel c Salman b Ahmed 35
Extras (b5, lb5, nb5, w1) 16
Total (all out, 131 overs) 449
Fall of wickets: 1-134, 2-234, 3-240, 4-255, 5-278, 6-279, 7-309, 8-340, 9-345
Bowling: Hamza 21-3-72-0, Naseem 24-7-71-3, Hasan 23-4-72-0, Ahmed 37-5-149-4, Salman 26-3-75-3
Pakistan first innings
Abdullah Shafique c Patel b Henry 19
Imam-ul-Haq not out 74
Shan Masood c Conway b Patel 20
Babar Azam run out 24
Saud Shakeel not out 13
Extras (lb2, nb2) 4
Total (for three wkts, 47 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-56, 3-99
Bowling: Southee 10-3-33-0, Henry 12-3-35-1, Patel 7-1-30-1, Bracewell 14-3-45-0, Sodhi 4-0-9-0