Super Yasir emulates Imran as Pakistan win
Pakistan leg-spinner equals Imran’s mark as hosts bounce back to level series 1-1
Yasir Shah, the hero of Pakistan’s comeback win in the Test series against New Zealand, was overcome with emotion yesterday afternoon — and with good reason. Not only did he banish any self doubt about his abilities on coming back from a hip bone injury, the leg-spinner’s 14-wicket match haul in the second Test has now put him on par with Imran Khan as the highest wicket-taker from a Test match for his country.
When tail-ender Trent Boult’s outside edge was accepted with glee by wicketkeeper-captain Sarfraz Ahmad to help Pakistan complete a win by an innings and 16 runs and level the series 1-1, Shah’s six for 143 helped him with 14-184 from the Test. Only ‘King Khan,’ now the country’s Prime Minister, had better figures (14-116) against Sri Lanka in 1982, but there is no gainsaying that the smiling assassin has established himself among the pantheon of Pakistan’s bowling greats including Abdul Qadir — a practitioner of his own craft.
“After coming back from injury, I was not getting my rhythm back in the earlier series but I am very satisfied with my bowling here. The wicket was slower today and I was not getting the nip off it but finally I managed to take the wickets,” said Shah, whose second innings figures read 44.59-143-6 with two five-wicket hauls in as many days.
If Shah walked away with all the spotlight over the last two days, his skipper Ahmad did not forget to put things in perspective as to what won the Test match for them. “When we were coming from Abu Dhabi after a really heartbreaking loss in the first Test, I told the boys to leave the bitter memories there and focus on the next match. The efforts of Azhar Ali, Harris Sohail and Babar Azam over the first two days set it up for us while Yasir and Hasan Ali kept the pressure up on the Kiwis throughout today. In all my years that I have been playing Test cricket, I have never seen Yasir bowl so well,” he said.
“It was very clinical. I think we have bounced back incredibly well from a big disappointment in Abu Dhabi, where we dominated for four days almost, then lost it in an hour,” said Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan coach.
As a rejuvenated Pakistan will now be ready to go for the kill in the decider in Abu Dhabi, which begins on December 3, New Zealand can take heart from a far more improved batting show in the second innings when they were all out for 312 after being forced to follow on.
Resolute batting
It was a more resolute batting performance on part of the visitors, who did not surrender the early initiative to Shah once again like Monday when they were dismissed in a heap for one of their lowest Test totals at 90 runs. Resuming at an overnight score of 131 for two, Ross Taylor stepped out to Hasan Ali for a boundary through the cover off the first ball of the day to reach his 29st halfcentury in Tests.
Looking strong enough to hit the first century for the visitors in the Test series, Taylor finally perished on the stroke of lunch being caught off an uppish sweep off Bilal Asif. His 82, with seven hits to the fence and a six, was a fine example of counter-attack under pressure. The innings must have come as a relief for Taylor, who had scrapped around for just 21 runs from three innings this series.
Watling then gave Shah the first wicket off the day when a straighter delivery from him caught the Kiwi wicketkeeper in front of the wicket for a leg before. A second look revealed that the delivery was pitched on the leg and middle stump and would have merited a review — though it would not have made much of a difference in the ultimate analysis.
Harry Nicholls, the eighth Kiwi wicket to fall (to Hasan Ali), was the second highest scorer of the innings with a patient 77 which came off 187 deliveries with seven boundaries and a six.
I was not getting my rhythm back in the earlier series but I am very satisfied with my bowling here. ” Yasir Shah » Pakistan leg-spinner