PAK vs NZ: PAK declares, match drawn

PAK vs NZ, 1st Test, Day 5: Pakistan 438 (Babar 161, Agha 103, Sarfaraz 86, Southee 3-69) and 311 for 8 dec (Imam 96, Shakeel 55*, Sodhi 6-86) drew with New Zealand 612 for 9 dec (Williamson 200*, Latham 113, Conway 92, Abrar 5-205) and 61 for 1 (Latham 35*, Abrar 1-23) 

In the final hour of the first Test in Karachi, New Zealand were given a target of 138 runs by Babar Azam out of the blue.

After making the call, Babar was beaming, but it was odd. Even though a draw was the most likely outcome, a victory for New Zealand could not be ruled out, while a victory for Pakistan was virtually impossible.

Devon Conway and Michael Bracewell will open for New Zealand. Conway and Tom Latham continued to pursue the goal despite Bracewell’s three-point loss. New Zealand needed 83 runs from nine overs at one point. Babar gave the impression of being worried, but as the game was called off with 7.3 overs remaining and the target at 77 runs, a waning light illuminated his face once more.

Ish Sodhi’s first five-wicket haul earlier in the game threatened Pakistan’s fifth loss in a row in the format. With close to 50 overs remaining, they were 206 for 7, or 32 for 7, but Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Wasim added 71 for the eighth wicket to pull them out of danger.

Wasim appeared to be batting much more freely during the final session. He even drove Bracewell wide long-on for a six, and Pakistan took a 100-run lead with a three off the next ball. However, Sodhi had him lbw with a flipper to keep New Zealand in the game.

New Zealand had an opportunity to run Mir Hamza out a few overs later when he sprinted down the track from the non-striker’s end, but Shakeel sent him back. Ajaz Patel, be that as it may, neglected to gather with the toss.

Hamza, on the other hand, remained steadfast with Shakeel and faced 34 balls for his unbeaten 3. Shakeel scored six points against Ajaz when he reached his half-century, and Babar quickly summoned his men back.

Sodhi had ruled the day up until that point. After taking Babar lbw with a googly in the morning session, he added three more wickets to the one he took last night after lunch.

Pakistan were 100 for 4 when Babar took the game, but Imam-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed brought them back with an 85-run stand for the fifth wicket. Sarfaraz scored his second half-century of the match after lunch, but he was caught on the next ball. Sarfaraz toe-ended his cut into the wicketkeeper’s gloves despite the fact that it was a short and wide delivery from Sodhi.

Pakistan sent Salman Agha in ahead of Shakeel, possibly to keep the left-right combination. In the first innings, Agha had scored a century, but this time Sodhi got one through his defenses early.

In Sodhi’s subsequent over, Pakistan suffered its biggest setback. Imam had come down the track during his innings to counter Sodhi’s rough outside off turn. When he used his feet once more, he was on 96, but this time Sodhi hit a googly to leave him stranded so far down the wicket that Tom Blundell’s slight delay in getting the stumping didn’t matter.

The Imam was enraged at himself. He threw away his bat after smashing a chair on his way back to the pavilion. At that point, a victory for New Zealand appeared likely, but Shakeel and Wasim kept the visitors at bay even after they received the second new ball.

Tim Southee had a chance in the morning when Imam drove at a full ball and got an outside edge in the second over. However, there was no lapse, and the ensuing boundary extended Imam’s half-century. However, New Zealand grabbed their first wicket of the morning in a short amount of time. Nightwatcher Nauman Ali was dismissed by Bracewell lbw in the subsequent over.

Light brings an early stumps at 61/1 after 7.3 overs & after five days it’s a DRAW! #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/L0LlFgoHhN

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 30, 2022

Babar entered at No. 5 and, in the wake of guarding the initial not many deliveries, took full advantage when Bracewell leaned toward the more limited side. In a 12-run over, the Pakistan captain rocked back and twice pulled the offspinner to the square-leg boundary.

That prompted Southee to bring Sodhi on, and the leg spinner bowled his first ball of the day to bowl Babar out. The Pakistan captain tried to review the decision made on the field, but it was pointless.

Sarfaraz was aggressive at first. In Ajaz’s first over of the day, he hit three boundaries after getting two fours from Southee in succession. The sweep shot was used for the first two, and when Ajaz switched to over the wicket, Sarfaraz jumped to the leg side and cut him through the covers to reach 25 off 15 balls.

After that, Ajaz began to bowl well outside leg, and Sarfaraz appeared content to push him away, with the exception of a few reverse sweeps.

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Imam continued to contribute from the opposite end. In the 57th over, Neil Wagner was brought into the attack for the first time in the innings after the partnership had reached 50. He started close to the wicket and even got Blundell to stand up to the stumps for an over, but Imam and Sarfaraz caught him and bowled the team out for lunch.

After the break, Sodhi started the game, but Pakistan ended up with a draw.