Ajaz ‘amazed’ after claiming his first Test wicket for New Zealand
▶ Pakistan bowled out for 227 on second day as Black Caps reduce the deficit to 18 runs
Test debutant Ajaz Patel claimed the wicket of Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed as New Zealand managed to restrict their hosts to a first innings lead of 74 in the opening Test yesterday.
After bowling out Pakistan for 227 – in reply to their own meagre first knock of 153 – the Black Caps were 56-1 at stumps, with the home side’s advantage down to 18 runs in Abu Dhabi.
New Zealand lost opener Tom Latham without a score on the board but Jeet Raval (26) and Kane Williamson (27) steadied the ship by the close to leave the match nicely poised at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
“We did some hard work today. We finished off the day quite well,” said Ajaz. “The match is evenly placed at the moment but we still need to do some good batting and see what kind of position we can be at the end of the day’s play tomorrow.”
Ajaz claimed his first Test scalp when Sarfraz top-edged a sweep and was caught by Neil Wagner at backward square leg. “It’s quite special taking the first Test wicket,” said the left-arm spinner who returned with 2-64 from 24 overs.
“I was kind of still amazed at that achievement. That one wicket was something that I have been working a whole lot for. It was quite a special moment.”
Ajaz could well be celebrating a few more wickets in conditions looking favourable to spinners.
“As a spinner, you love the challenge to bowl on the last day, especially on turning wickets, like we have here,” he said. “These conditions are obviously conducive for spin bowling and we have seen that across the last two days.
“It will be interesting to see how many days it needs to break up and see where it gets to in the last inning.”
Pakistan’s overnight pair Azhar Ali (22) and Haris So- hail (38) added 64 for the third wicket and Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam produced an 83run stand for the fifth wicket.
Ish Sodhi provided the breakthrough for New Zealand. The leg-spinner had Sohail playing at a full toss to the hands of Tom Latham at short mid-wicket and Trent Boult struck in the very next over to dismiss Azhar to a one-handed diving catch by Bradley-John Watling as Pakistan slipped from 91-2 to 91-4.
Boult later ended the fifth-wicket partnership of Babar and Asad, getting the latter to chop one back on to his off stump.
It turned out to be a double strike as Ajaz picked up his maiden Test wicket with Sarfraz’s dismissal. He then claimed his second when he lured Bilal Asif for Watling to catch him short of his crease to leave Pakistan 195-7. Wagner, Colin de Grandhomme and Boult grabbed the remaining wickets.
Babar, who has been excellent in the UAE having also played a pivotal role in the series win over Australia that preceded New Zealand’s arrival, top-scored for Pakistan with 62 and was last out after coming in at No 6.
“I was asking the lower order batsmen not to hurry when I was playing with them but, unfortunately, they got out,” said Babar, who hit five boundaries.
“I thought I could reach a century had there been support from other end. Now we have to go out and get wickets early in the first session tomorrow.”
New Zealand spinner AJAZ PATEL It’s quite special taking the first Test wicket. That one wicket was something I have been working a whole lot for