PAK vs NZ: Saud Shakeel's defiant century thwarts Kiwi's comeback

New Zealand had a tremendous outing in the first innings as even their tailenders- Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel contributed well with the bat. They shared a 104-run stand for the last wicket, with Henry even hitting a half-century, which helped the visitors finish their innings at 449/10. Before the end of the second day’s play, Pakistan managed to score 154 runs while losing three wickets.

Both teams had a lot of work to do on the third day, as the game had been moving on a balanced track. Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel started the proceedings for Pakistan, and Henry took charge with the ball to begin the day. The duo started off well, and Imam inched closer to a century but skipper Tim Southee got New Zealand the first breakthrough for the day and dismissed him.

Shakeel, who took 42 deliveries to get off the mark on the previous day, showcased brilliant composure with the bat. He was then joined by former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed as the duo stitched up a crucial 150-run stand for the fifth wicket. The two batted together for more than 40 overs and kept sending the ball towards the fence at regular intervals, so as to keep the scoreboard ticking.

As the two built the innings up, Shakeel bagged his maiden Test century. It took him 240 deliveries to reach the three-figure mark, but the Kiwi bowlers could not stop the Pakistani batter from achieving the milestone. Ahmed, on the other hand, was quick in scoring runs just like in the previous Tests, and quickly got to a half-century before being dismissed after Shakeel’s century.

Kiwi spinners strike late as Pakistan end the day on a tensed note

New Zealand bowlers’ struggle to pick wickets continued, as even Agha Salman was quick in finding the rhythm. He played a 78-ball 41-run knock before being dismissed by Ajaz Patel in the final session. The Kiwi spinner kept the celebrations going for the visitors as he sent Hasan Ali packing. Hasan hit a four off Patel’s delivery, but the spinner picked up his wicket on the very next ball.

Pakistan batters played very defensively, on what was a batter-friendly surface. Just when it looked like they were trying to stretch the game, Ish Sodhi struck on consecutive deliveries to dismiss Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza as the game slipped to New Zealand’s side. Saud Shakeel kept the game going from one end, which led to Pakistan closing the day on 407/9. Shakeel and Abrar Ahmed will take the innings forward tomorrow for Pakistan, while New Zealand will be aiming to get started with their second innings and extend the lead.

Here's how Twitter reacted:

For Better Experience: Download CricTracker Mobile App