Paceman Southee rocks Pakistan

HAMILTON: Tim Southee captured three quick wickets to put New Zealand in a commanding position in the second Test against Pakistan yesterday.

Neil Wagner also bagged two wickets as Pakistan collapsed to 76 for five at stumps on day two, still 195 runs behind New Zealand’s first innings total of 271.

Babar Azam was not out 34 at the close of play at Hamilton’s Seddon Park with Sarfraz Ahmed unbeaten on nine.

New Zealand, chasing their first series win over Pakistan in 31 years, had been in trouble at 5-119 before BJ Watling’s 49 not out anchored a tail-end revival that lifted the home team to a competitive total.

“We could have been bowled out for 200-210,” said Watling after coaxing the tail order to extend the innings as long as possible on a wicket offering encouragement to the seamers.

“I enjoy batting with the tail. It can be a challenge sometimes. you have to try and keep them as focused as they can but you just try to eke out as many runs as you can.”

But what the non-recognised New Zealand batsmen achieved, the Pakistan top order failed to do as Southee enticed them into making a string of rash shots, seaming the ball away with a mixture of short and full-length deliveries.

In his third over, the New Zealand quickly removed opener Sami Aslam for five and Azhar Ali for one. Then, in his fifth over, he dismissed the veteran Younis Khan for two as Pakistan slumped to 12-3.

Azam and Shafiq briefly steadied the innings with a 39-run partnership before Wagner’s double strike.

He bowled Shafiq for 23 then followed up with a short ball to debutant Mohammad Rizwan which he hooked to Matt Henry on the boundary for a golden duck on his test debut.

Ahmed took a single off the next ball to deny Wagner the hat trick.

Pakistan speedster Sohail Khan described it as a “disappointing” effort by their senior batsmen.

“Our players need to learn as quickly as possible (to leave) the ball outside the off stump because the new ball does the trick here, and if you start chasing the ball outside the off stump, like Asian pitches, it’s not the same here.”

At the close, Southee had figures of three for 26 while Wagner had 215.

But with three days remaining, Sohail held hope Pakistan could recover.

“One good partnership will take us close and from there a new game is started,” he said.

“The responsibility will (then) be on the bowlers to get New Zealand out as quickly as possible.” AFP