'Test is Best', says Virender Sehwag after New Zealand's stunning victory

Pakistan and New Zealand played one of the most enthralling Test matches in the recent times in Abu Dhabi. Chasing the total of 176, Sarfraz Ahmed and Co were sitting pretty at 130/3 at one stage. But the visitors came back stunningly to affect the collapse and won the game by just four runs. Things went down the wire only for the debutant Ajaz Patel to end Azhar Ali’s fighting knock. After the game, Virender Sehwag was quick to hail New Zealand’s efforts and was thrilled with the way Test cricket is shaping up.

When the third day ended, many felt that it will be a mere formality for the hosts to gun down the remaining 138 runs. But as the play resumed on Monday, the tourists exerted pressure on the opposition to reduce them to 48/3 from 37/0. However, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali, two of the best batsmen in Pakistan’s line-up, stitched a crucial stand of 82 runs for the fourth wicket and once again it felt like they will win the game soon.

But New Zealand had other ideas. Neil Wagner scalped Shafiq at the stroke of lunch with 46 runs still in the bag and what transpired in the second session was absolute magic. Babar Azam got run-out in the most bizarre way and that made the Kiwis believe that they can still defend the total. The spin and pace combination of Wagner and Ajaz strangled the tail and soon Pakistan found themselves at 164/9,

Test is Best

Azhar Ali and Mohammad Abbas were defiant and denied a wicket for almost 10 overs and took the team close to the target slowly. However, one fine delivery from Ajaz spun sharply which missed Azhar’s bat to catch him in front of the stumps and game ended in New Zealand’s favour. There were exuberant celebrations in their camp while Pakistan players looked dejected.

Meanwhile, Sehwag also was happy for the fighting spirit the Kiwis displayed in Abu Dhabi and felt that they were the deserving winners. Moreover, the owner of the two triple centuries in whites also reaffirmed that the longest format of the game is the best amongst all.

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