Record-breaking Yasir leaves Kiwis in a spin
As the rays of sunshine broke through the dark clouds, Yasir Shah produced the brightest moments of the second Test, making the ball speak a language that was beyond the comprehension of New Zealand’s best batting talents.
Due to heavy rains, the third day’s play could only start at 11am at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
But once play started, Yasir was unstoppable with his flight and turn bamboozling the Kiwis on the slow Dubai surface as he returned with 10 wickets — 8/41 in the first innings and 2/65 in the second.
It was simply a magical display from a man who is on track to become the fastest to 200 Test wickets.
On Sunday, watching this wrist spinner, whose face bears a striking resemblance to a certain Lionel Messi’s, harass the New Zealand batsmen with his guile was akin to watching Messi torment defenders with that left foot.
Yasir’s 8/41 — his best figures in an innings — sparked a stunning collapse as New Zealand (90 all out), which were sitting pretty at one stage at 50/0, lost 10 wickets for 40 runs to give Sarfraz Ahmed’s team a massive 328-run first innings lead.
Sarfraz, desperate to lead Pakistan to a win here after losing the first Test in Abu Dhabi by four runs, decided to enforce the follow-on and Yasir returned to haunt New Zealand once again, dismissing opener Jeet Raval (2) and captain Kane Williamson (30, 41 balls, 3 fours) with a peach of a delivery.
The hugely experienced Ross Taylor (49 not out, 53 balls, 6 fours, 1 six), who was embarrassed by a beautiful Yasir leg spinner in the first innings, then launched a brilliant counter attack.
He found the perfect partner in the old fashioned opener Tom Latham (44 not out, 141 balls, 3 fours) as both batsmen defied Yasir and his partners to take New Zealand to 131/2 at stumps.
But with New Zealand still needing 197 runs to make Pakistan bat again, it seems Yasir memorable performance is going to become a match-winning one.
It all started with a reverse sweep from Raval Raval (31, 75 balls, 4 fours) in the first innings.
After having given a 50-run opening partnership with Latham, the opener tried to unsettle Yasir, but his attempt only led to his own downfall as he played onto his stumps. It also brought down the whole Kiwi team as Yasir then took three wickets – Latham, Taylor (0) and Henry Nicholls (0) — in the same over, his ninth of the innings, to leave the visitors gasping for breath.
Yasir went on to take four more wickets as six New Zealand batsmen even failed to open their accounts.
The 32-year-old spinner, who took his 50th wicket in Dubai and 100th in the UAE, became the first Pakistani to take 10 Test wickets in a single day.
On Monday, he also recorded his 15th five for in only his 32nd Test. At this rate, few would bet against him breaking Wasim Akram’s Pakistan record of most five fors in Test cricket. Wasim, the greatest left-arm fast bowler in history, had 25 five fors in 104 Tests.
But now it seems Yasir is soon going to rewrite the Pakistan record books again.