Pakistan fight to avoid defeat in first Test after Williamson double ton

Business Dec, 30 2022
Pakistan fight to avoid defeat in first Test after Williamson double ton
  • 187
  • 0

Karachi: Pakistan will need to bat out the last day to avoid defeat in the first Test after New Zealand gained the upper hand Thursday through a masterly undefeated double-hundred by Kane Williamson in Karachi.

Trailing by 174 runs after the first innings, Pakistan finished the fourth day on a precarious 77-2, with Imam-ul-Haq on 45 and nightwatchman Nauman Ali on four. Pakistan have lost their last four Tests including a first-ever 3-0 whitewash at the hands of England — and are now 97 runs behind with eight wickets intact.

The home team’s task of salvaging a draw shouldn’t ordinarily be onerous on a National Stadium pitch that has not so far taken a sharp turn, but their propensity for middle-order collapses recently has given New Zealand the sniff of victory. Opener Abdullah Shafique was the first wicket to fall as he played an injudicious lofted shot off-spinner Michael Bracewell, and was caught at mid-on for 17. Then Shan Masood was adjudged leg before off Ish Sodhi for 10 before Haq and Nauman saw off the day.

Earlier, Williamson’s unbeaten double century enabled the visitors to declare their first innings on 612-9 — a good 174-run lead over Pakistan’s 438. Williamson reached 200 with a single off spinner Abrar Ahmed, batting for ten hours and striking 21 boundaries and a six in an innings which saw him overturn two leg-before decisions on 13 and 116. He also survived two stumpings off-spinner Nauman on 15 and 21.

Resuming on 440-6, Williamson and Sodhi defied Pakistan’s bowling in the first session as the pair took the total to 595 before their seventh wicket stand was broken. Sodhi was caught off Ahmed for 65 to better his previous best, also against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2018. Tim Southee and Neil Wagner fell without scoring as New Zealand lost three wickets in the space of two runs, but last-man Ajaz Patel held his ground to help Williamson reach the milestone.

Ahmed finished with 5-205 his second five-wicket haul while Nauman Ali took 3-185. New Zealand are playing their first Test series in Pakistan for 20 years.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 30 2022

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

NC Big Stories

Army Chief reiterates resolve to thwart nefarious designs of inimical elements

PESHAWAR: Amid rising terror incidents in Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir yesterday reiterated the army’s firm resolve to eradicate the illegal spectrum undermining national security, a statement from the military’...

PM Shehbaz forms panel to end PPP-PML-N rift

ISLAMABAD: Following PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s complaints against the incumbent government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to resolve the issues between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Pe...

Federal Ombudsman chairs 'open court' in District Central

KARACHI: An open court was held at the Deputy Commissioner's Office, Central Karachi, under the chairmanship of Federal Ombudsman Syed Anwar Haider. Deputy Commissioner Central Taha Saleem, Additional Deputy Commissioners Asim Siddiqui and Dr. Saira...

Hina Bayat discusses rising divorce rates

Hina Bayat Khawaja is one of Pakistan’s most beloved and versatile actresses, known for her insightful opinions and candid approach to life. Having enjoyed a successful career, she is highly regarded, and her views carry significant weight. Hin...

More like this
Related

Rohde & Schwarz Pakistan concludes day 01 of IDEAS 2024 on a positive note

KARACHI: 12th edition of IDEAS 2024 got underway today i.e. 19th November 2024 at Kashmir Hall, Karachi Expo Centre, Karachi. inauguration ceremony was a grand affair attended delegates, exhibitors, senior members of armed forces and selected members...

Gold prices hit one-week high

KARACHI: Gold prices continued their upward momentum on Wednesday, marking a one-week high as investors sought the safety of the precious metal amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, particularly the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict. Spot gold ros...

Profit-taking drags PSX down, KSE-100 falls by 310 points

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw profit-taking on Wednesday, resulting in a decline of 310 points in the benchmark KSE-100 Index, which closed at 95,546.45, down 0.32%. The session began on a positive note, with the KSE-100 rising to a...

Ahsan Iqbal proposes GSP-Plus and 5Es framework for export-led growth

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, proposed a comprehensive strategy to align the European Union’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP-Plus) program with Pakistan’s 5Es framewo...
Need Help? Chat with us