Karachi, Jan 4: Pakistan rode on Saud Shakeel’s patient first Test century and Safaraz Ahmed’s aggressive 78 to trail New Zealand by 42 runs on the third day of the second Test on Wednesday.
Left-handed Shakeel batted throughout the day to go unbeaten on 124 off 336 balls in an innings spanned over eight hours before New Zealand spinners hit back late with four wickets and Pakistan finished the day at 407/9 at stumps.
“When I entered into the 90s I got nervous for 1-2 overs, but Sarfaraz told me don’t take tension,” Shakeel said after raising his maiden Test hundred in his hometown and hitting 17 fours.
“Sarfaraz is a very senior player, I started my career with him. It was good that he was with me when I scored my century.”
New Zealand part-time seamer Daryl Mitchell squeezed out Pakistan in the final session which saw the host score 70 runs as leftarm spinner Ajaz Patel (3/88) chipped away with wickets of Agha Salman (41) and Hasan Ali (4) through juggling catches by Michael Bracewell and Devon Conway.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (2/94), who is recalled for the Pakistan Test tour after four years, had Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza clean bowled off successive deliveries, but Abrar Ahmed avoided the hat-trick ball with an umbrella of fielders surrounding him and was yet to get off the mark.
New Zealand could have exposed Pakistan’s long tail early after tea still leading by 100 runs, but Tom Latham dropped a regulation catch of Shakeel’s lose drive at short point much to the disappointment of skipper Tim Southee (1/62).
Earlier, Shakeel and Sarfaraz kept New Zealand at bay with their determined 150-run stand in three hours after Pakistan lost the sole wicket of Imam-ul-Haq in a quiet first session which also produced 70 runs.
Mitchell came close to dismissing Sarfaraz off his first ball late in the second session, but the batter successfully overturned umpire Alex Wharf’s lbw ruling through television referral. But two balls later, Tom Blundell had him stumped after collecting the ball down the legside.
TV umpire Ahsan Raza felt Sarfaraz’s heel was not grounded in the crease when Blundell whipped the bails off after going through several replays. (AP)
