Tag: Pakistan vs New Zealand Tests

KARACHI: Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed received a grand reception from his fans and friends as he reached his home after a match-saving century in the second Test against New Zealand.

Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan’s fightback to hold New Zealand for the draw after a thrilling last day of the second Test, got immense appreciation from his fans who flocked in large numbers to throw a grand welcome for the former captain upon his arrival.

As the right-arm pacer stepped out of his vehicle, fans showered flowers on him and put up garlands to appreciate his courageous knock against the Blackcaps in a crisp situation.

The right-handed batter came out to bat when Pakistan were struggling at 77/4 after skipper Babar Azam’s dismissal and soon slipped further to 80/5 in pursuit of the 319-run target.

Sarfaraz then stitched a fighting 123-run partnership with Saud Shakeel and brought Pakistan back in the hunt.

The former Pakistan captain kept fighting despite Saud’s dismissal and went on to smash his first Test century since his return and his fourth overall in the longest format.

It is pertinent to mention that before the New Zealand home series, Sarfaraz last played a Test match back in 2019 against South Africa. Whereas, his century against the Blackcaps in the fourth innings of the second Test was his first after 2014.

KARACHI: Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed scripted a remarkable comeback as he smashed his first Test century since his return and fourth overall in the ongoing second Test against New Zealand.

Coming out to bat at number six when Pakistan were struggling at 77/4 and soon 80/5 when Shan Masood departed, launched a counterattack on the Kiwi bowlers by swiftly ticking the scoreboard.

The right-handed batter stitched a fighting 123-run partnership with Saud Shakeel and brought Pakistan back in the hunt.

Sarfaraz kept fighting despite Saud’s dismissal and went on to smash his first Test century since his return and his fourth overall in the longest format.

Notably, Sarfaraz had scored three consecutive half-centuries since his return.

Following his remarkable century, Sarfaraz has gone past Mohammad Rizwan in the list of highest batting averages by wicketkeeper batters for Pakistan in Tests.

Furthermore, Sarfaraz has also scored the most runs by a Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter in a Test series having three matches or less. He also became the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to amass four fifty-plus scores in a Test series.

At the time this story was filed Pakistan were 249/6 in 78 overs with Sarfaraz (109*) and Salman Ali Agha (16*) unbeaten at the crease. The hosts further needed 70 runs in 15 overs.

READ: Sarfaraz, Saud keep Pakistan afloat as second Test enters decisive phase

KARACHI: New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Blundell commented on the debated dismissal of his Pakistani counterpart Sarfaraz Ahmed and shared his initial take on the “lucky” breakthrough.

Blundell talked to the media following the conclusion of the third day’s action of the ongoing second Test and responded to a question regarding Sarfaraz’s stumping by stating at first he did not think it was out.

“At first, I don’t think it was out. Umm, and then obviously looking on the big screen, you know there was a bit of chance and for me, it was just to get the bails off as quick as possible,” said Blundell.

“And, you know fortunately for me it was the perfect timing,” he added.

Notably, Sarfaraz, who scored his third consecutive half-century since his return; courtesy of a magnificent 78-run knock in the first innings of the ongoing second Test, endured a frustrating end to his brave knock.

Daryll Mitchell bowled the third delivery of the 100th over full on the leg side and deceived Sarfaraz with his counterpart Blundell dislodging the bails sharply and leg-umpire referred the decision to the third umpire Ahsan Raza.

After watching various replays from multiple angles, Ahsan decided that Sarfaraz had nothing grounded behind the crease and thus, gave him out.

Sarfaraz’s dismissal has enraged cricket fans, who are convinced that the dismissal was umpiring blunder and that the wicketkeeper batter deserved to be given the benefit of doubt.

It is pertinent to mention that left-handed middle-order batter Saud Shakeel put up a brave fight with his gritty maiden Test century and barred New Zealand from bundling out the hosts as Pakistan hung on for 407/9 at the Stumps.

Starting from an overnight score of 154/3, Pakistan added 253 runs to the total and lost six wickets throughout the day, with Saud and Sarfaraz Ahmed punching an astounding partnership of 150 runs before New Zealand made a comeback in the game.

Saud (124*) and Abrar Ahmed (0*) will now resume Pakistan’s first innings on the fourth day as the hosts still trail by 42 runs.

READ: Saud defies New Zealand attack as Pakistan hold on to 407/9 at Stumps

KARACHI: The dramatic first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in a draw after captain Babar Azam called for a surprising declaration in the second innings and set the visitors to chase 138.

New Zealand set to chase 138 runs in 15 overs, could manage to amass 61/1 in response as the bad light halted the action and resulted in the match ending a draw.

Despite losing their opener Michael Bracewell in the first over, the touring side kept pushing for the victory as Tom Latham and Devon Conway scored at a rapid pace in pursuit.

Latham was unbeaten on 35, while Conway on 18 before the umpires called off the final day due to bad light.

Earlier in the final session, Pakistan captain Babar made a bold declaration briefly after Saud had strengthened the home side for a draw.

The home side, who was struggling at 206/7 before the Tea break made an astonishing recovery courtesy of a gritty 71-run stand between Saud and Mohammad Wasim Jr for the eighth wicket.

The pair frustrated the Kiwi bowlers and seemed to have settled down before Sodhi struck once again to break the vital partnership and brought New Zealand back into the game.

Sodhi trapped Wasim Jr in his legs and put an end to the latter’s brave knock. The all-rounder played an important knock of 43 runs.

Wasim’s dismissal, however, did not bother Saud much, who then stitched another fighting partnership for Pakistan as he added 34 runs for the 10th wicket with Mir Hamza.

The left-handed batter middle-order batter was unbeaten at 55 and seemed likely to carry his bat all the way through, what was anticipated to be a straightforward draw for Pakistan before Babar called their men back.

At the time of declaration, Pakistan were 311/8 and had piled up a 137-run lead over the touring side.

Sodhi led the bowling attack for New Zealand as he picked up six wickets for 86 runs, while Michael Bracewell could take two.

The second session of the final day of the ongoing first Test turned out to be an exciting one for the BlackCaps as they brightened the chances to clinch an astounding victory over hosts Pakistan.

The touring side leaked only 69 runs in the session and took three important wickets to push Pakistan on the back foot.

Sodhi was the man of the moment for New Zealand, who provided the breakthrough to his side as he got Sarfaraz Ahmed caught behind soon after his second consecutive half-century.

The wicketkeeper batter scored 53 off 76 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries.

Salman Ali Agha, who scored his maiden century in the first innings, could not stay for long at the crease as he was deceived by Sodhi’s brilliantly pitched googly that ended his knock for a mere six runs.

The leg-spinner then struck gold in his next over for New Zealand as he removed Pakistan’s top-scorer of the second innings Imam, who fell just four short of his century.

The opening batter scored 96 off 206 deliveries with the help of 10 boundaries and a six.

Following the slump, middle-order batter Saud Shakeel alongside all-rounder Mohammad Wasim Jr initiated the fightback as the pair added an unbeaten 43-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Saud (23) and Wasim (20) will now resume Pakistan’s second innings at 249/7 in the final session with a 75-run lead over the visitors.

Pakistan resuming their second innings at 77/2 with opener Imam and nightwatchman Nauman Ali had a shaky start to the final day of the first Test as the touring side broke the overnight stand within the first three overs.

Michael Bracewell provided New Zealand with an early breakthrough as he trapped Nauman in his legs to end his brief four-run knock; causing Pakistan to slip to 82/3.

The home side then dealt with a major blow when they lost their in-form captain Babar Azam for a mere 14 runs courtesy of a deceiving googly from Ish Sodhi.

Following the slump, Sarfaraz joined Imam in the middle and began to script an astounding recovery for the hosts.

The duo appeared solid and accumulated 81 runs to cut New Zealand’s lead before eventually achieving seven-run superiority over the BlackCaps.

At the stroke of Lunch, Imam was unbeaten on 81 off 171 deliveries, while Sarfaraz was just one run short of amassing his second consecutive half-century.

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KARACHI: Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed opened up on his comeback into Test cricket after a gap of almost four years and asserted it felt like a debut match for him.

Sarfaraz, who gained attention for his sensational 86-run knock in the first Test on home soil, stated his heart was pounding as he came onto the field amid a scheduled press conference following the first day’s action.

“Look, if you ask about how I was feeling when I played the first three deliveries and if someone had checked my heartbeat at that time then probably the meter would have exploded,” shared Sarfaraz.

“So, my heart was beating so fast and it was a similar feeling to that of making your debut as I was playing a Test match after a very long time and the match too was in crunch position at that moment.

“So, when we walked into the pavilion for the lunch break, boys who have played alongside me, noticed my nervousness and were telling me to get normal and I also told them that my heart is beating so fast.

“But, when I went onto the field Babar gave me a lot of confidence as a senior player and carried me with great determination as I also needed confidence at that time and most importantly the Almighty Allah gave me respect.”

The right-handed batter also provided an update on his injury, which he sustained due to a cautious diving effort amid his 86-run knock against the touring side by claiming he is feeling much better now.

“I hurt my knee when I dove and I was experiencing a sharp pain because of that but thanks to Almighty Allah I am feeling much better now,” shared Sarfaraz.

It is pertinent to mention that Sarfaraz helped skipper Babar Azam in defying the early collapse and put Pakistan into a commanding position at the stroke of stumps on Day 1 against New Zealand.

Sarfaraz scored 86 runs before falling to Ajaz Patel in the closing minutes of the opening day and offered a helping hand to Babar (161*) in stitching a valiant fifth-wicket partnership.

The duo added 194 runs for the fifth wicket and strengthened Pakistan’s position over New Zealand in the ongoing first Test.

READ: Twitter erupts as Sarfaraz Ahmed makes Test return in style 

KARACHI: The tickets for the final Test between Pakistan and New Zealand, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at National Bank Cricket Arena Karachi, will be available for purchase from Saturday.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced it had kept the ticket prices at nominal rates, starting from Rs150, in order to ensure that the action would be accessible for all cricket fans.

According to the details, the ticketing price for the General enclosure – Muhammad Brothers and Intakhab Alam – has been set ticket at PKR150, and a First-Class enclosure – Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hassan and Majid Khan– ticket is for PKR250.

Meanwhile, a Premium enclosure – Imran khan, Quaid, Wasim Akram and Zaheer Abbas – is for PKR300 and a VIP enclosure – Hanif Muhammad, Javed Miandad and Fazal Mehmood – is for PKR500.

🎟️ Tickets go on sale for first #PAKvNZ Test 🎟️

More details ➡️ https://t.co/AUvTgv1HxW#TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/kqeGs9SpSD

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 24, 2022

 

The physical tickets can be purchased from Asghar Ali Shah Stadium in Nazimabad, RJ Mall (Pakistan Physical disability cricket association) and Sector-35-F, Korangi n0.4.

Furthermore, van booths at Boat Basin, Clifton will also be set up by the PCB, through BookMe, to further facilitate the fans in obtaining the tickets.

It is pertinent to mention that New Zealand are on a historic tour to Pakistan to play two Tests and a three-match ODI series from December 26 2022 to January 13 2023.

The National Bank Cricket Arena here will host all five matches of New Zealand’s historic series after the second Test shifted to here; citing the deteriorating weather conditions in Multan.

READ: Bangladesh bowlers rattle India to leave match hanging in the balance

KARACHI: Pakistan held a full-strength training session on Saturday at the National Bank Cricket Arena before the first Test of the two-match series against New Zealand, starting on Monday.

All the players of Pakistan’s Test squad participated in the first training session held in Karachi with the exception of their skipper Babar Azam, who is currently in his hometown Lahore.

The captain, however, will reach here in the evening.

Meanwhile, a full-strength New Zealand squad was present on the field and carried out robust training sessions that included batting, fielding and bowling drills.

Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Kiwi spinner Ish Sodhi were seen inspecting the pitch and evaluating the conditions of the venue for a long part.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will take on New Zealand in a two-match Test series. The opening match of the series will commence on December 26 here, while the venue of the second Test is under consideration.

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KARACHI: The second Test of the upcoming historic series between Pakistan and New Zealand is likely to be shifted to here in light of the anticipated unsuitable weather in Multan, sources claimed.

According to the details, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed a request to the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to change the venue for the second Test and is yet to receive the nod from the touring board.

Notably, flight operations in Multan are already disturbed due to dense smog which can also pose a dent to the playing overs in the city.

The sources further claimed that the PCB is in talks with the NZC regarding the matter while a final decision is likely to be taken by Monday.

It is pertinent to mention that the English team also experienced a flight delay on their way back from Multan to Karachi due to dense smog in the prior-mentioned city.

Meanwhile, Karachi is already poised to host the first Test of the home series against New Zealand, marking the first after a gap of 32 years.

The National Bank Cricket Arena here will also host the three-match ODI series between the two countries.

READ: Wood, Rehan out as England name 15-man squad for New Zealand Tests

KARACHI: New Zealand Test squad will start training at the National Bank Cricket Arena tomorrow for the historic two-match series which will roll into action on December 26.

According to the details, the touring side, under the leadership of their newly-appointed captain Tim Southee is set for their first assignment and will commence the preparation tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Test squad will report at the local hotel here tomorrow. Whereas, some of the players already residing at the hotel will partake in the team’s optional training session tomorrow.

Later on Saturday and Sunday, the national team will then carry out robust training sessions to race up their preparations for the important Test series against the Blackcaps.

It is pertinent to mention that the two-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand is part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC).

The humiliating whitewash against England posed a major dent to Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the final of the Championship as the Green Shirts now hold the seventh position with 56 points, followed by New Zealand at eighth with 28 points.

READ: England squad leaves after concluding Pakistan tour 

KARACHI: New Zealand squad on Thursday stepped foot in Pakistan to play a historic Test series in the country, which will roll into action from December 26 at National Bank Cricket Arena here.

A strong Blackcaps squad landed in the country early Thursday from Dubai, after departing from Auckland last night.

New Zealand will take on hosts Pakistan in two Tests in Karachi and Multan respectively under the leadership of their newly-appointed captain Tim Southee after Kane Williamson stepped down from the position earlier this month.

The Karachi Test, scheduled to commence on December 26, will mark the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand on the former’s soil after 20 years, while the first here after 32 years.

It is pertinent to mention that New Zealand last toured Pakistan for a full-fledged tour back in 2002 when they played two Tests and three ODIs.

New Zealand Squad

Tim Southee (c), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.