NZ erases deficit but top order toppled

ABU DHABI: Pakistan’s Hasan Ali struck has twice in five deliveries to topple New Zealand’s top order, reducing the visitors to 134 for four in their second innings at lunch on the third day of the first test in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

New Zealand, trailing on the first innings by 74 runs, were 60 ahead with BJ Watling unbeaten on 15 and Henry Nicholls on 13 at the break.

Watling survived in the last over before lunch when he successfully reversed a lbw decision off Bilal Asif’s offspin as replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump.

Hasan (three for 21) used reverse swing with perfection by nipping Ross Taylor (19) plumb in front. Four balls later, Jeet Raval’s resistance ended at 46 when he edged the rightarm fast bowler behind as the New Zealanders slipped to 108 for four.

Earlier, lefthander Raval was aggressive against legspinner Yasir Shah when New Zealand resumed on 56 for one and quickly wiped off the firstinnings deficit.

Raval used his feet well against Shah by hitting three boundaries in the tweaker’s first two overs. However, captain Safraz Ahmed persisted with Shah and he finally made the breakthrough.

Kane Williamson (37) added 10 to his overnight score of 27 before Shah bowled the New Zealand skipper off a delivery which moved enough and tipped the off stump bail to break an 86run secondwicket stand.

Taylor was also dominant against Shah by smashing three fours in one over that included two meticulous cuts and one over midwicket.

But Hasan’s twin strikes in his fourth over of the day pegged back New Zealand’s progress.

On day two, fast bowler Trent Boult (four for 54) and debutant spinner Ajaz Patel (two for 64) limited Pakistan’s lead.

Boult broke two halfcentury stands on either side of the first two sessions and Patel took both his wickets in quick succession after lunch before Pak Scoreboard at lunch on the third day of the first test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.—.

NEW ZEALAND

First innings 153 PAKISTAN

First innings

istan was bowled out soon after tea.

Babar Azam (62) was the only batsman to hit a half century before he was the last man to be dismissed, caught low down the leg side by a diving Watling which gave Boult his fourth wicket.

Neil Wagner (one for 30) was also rewarded for his steady bowling. The leftarm seamer had Yasir Shah (9) caught behind just before tea for his 150th test wicket.

Azhar Ali should have been out on 19 but Paval dropped an easy overhead catch at short midwicket. In Boult’s next over, New Zealand wasted one of its two reviews by going for an unsuccessful television referral against Azhar Ali, who struggled to get going in his 95ball knock of 22. — AAP