Babar and Sarfaraz dominate the Kiwi spinners as Pakistan on Top after Day 1:
The first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand is the third time a sub-continental country is hosting a Boxing Day Test and so Babar’s men or it would be better to say that ‘Babar’ tried his best not to spoil this historic opportunity. The day started for Pakistan in a very familiar fashion, with three wickets down and Babar striding in with his kit on. Lets see how the happenings of the day unfolded to bring the hosts back in the hunt.
National Bank Cricket Arena Karachi’s pitch was not very different from the one during the Third Test match against England just a week ago. The pitch was docile and looked very batting-friendly but naive cracks were present on the pitch as well. These cracks opened up and will open up more as the game will progress. The captain of New Zealand, Tim Southee, himself came to bowl with a fresh cherry in his hands. Abdullah Shafique was the front-line warrior from Pakistan. The first over went by and Pakistan added 2 runs to the scorecard. Neil Wagner, one of the horrors who haunted Pakistan in the 4-run defeat in the first Test match last time New Zealand toured Pakistan in their adopted home, came to bowl from the other end. A boundary and a no ball off the fast bowler made his captain replace him with a spinner. Ajaz Patel, the real threat to Babar’s men, who ravaged through Pakistan’s lineup in the aforementioned New Zealand tour and was one of the main reasons for the disappointing clean sweep, was given the ball. His first two deliveries turned a great deal away from the on crease Abdullah Shafique. Patel’s third delivery, the one Abdullah will have a hard time forgetting, turned in similar way. However, this time the Pakistani batter made a farcical decision to dance down the track in order to meet it before it turns but the ball sped past him and the wicket-keeper Tom Blundell quickly demolished his stumps. Pakistan lost their first wicket, Abdullah Shafique walked out of the ground still trying to process the fumble he just made.
In came Shan Masood smiling to join the other opener Imam ul Haq. From the other end, Southee decided to replace himself with Michael Bracewell, another spinner but this time an off-spinner. After Bracewell’s first over which was maiden his second turned out to be more fruitful for the black caps. This was not only maiden but also saw Shan Masood falling. The left-hander like his predecessor came down the track and was beaten by the ball. Although unlike Abdullah he tried to return back to crease, he eventually fell short of it and was stumped again by Blundell, who was having the day of his career. For only 19 runs, two batters of Pakistan fell and it was now time for rescuing the team, the responsibility of which like always was given to Babar Azam.
Babar came galloping in and had to face Bracewell. The Bracewell-Patel combination continued while Babar Azam took some balls to settle down. Babar took a single and in the next over presented Patel with a back foot punch four to lessen the pressure which was growing each second. Slowly and steadily, Babar and Imam tried to recover from the damage the batters from the top inflicted them with. By the end of 14 overs, Pakistan were 2 down for 45 runs and the runs were coming in at the rate of 3.21.
Bracewell was bowling the 15th over, when on third ball an outside edge kissed Babar’s bat and touched Daryl Mitchell’s hand who was standing at the first slip position. Mitchell, however, to New Zealand’s great misfortune was too late to close his hands and the ball fell to the ground despite him trying to rebound it. Babar was at 12 and Southee-led men committed a grave mistake; they dropped Babar. The crestfallen Kiwis understood the seriousness of situation and a somber silence fell. The silence broke just a ball later when Imam ul Haq played a poor shot. The delivery was a full length ball, on the line and the left handed Imam came down the ground to lauch the ball across the line but failed and ball got in the air awkwardly with chants of ‘catch it’ following. The New Zealand skipper standing at mid-off caught the ball safely in his hands to remove Pakistan’s third wicket.
Saud Shakeel, the young Pakistan batter, came in next. Shakeel joined his Skipper and things for Pakistan were going from bad to worse. Babar Azam, the saviour of Pakistan on many occassions was dangling like a sword over the visitor’s head but not a lot of batting was remaining after him. Bracewell and Patel continued for a while and in 22nd over, Ish Sodhi replaced Patel who left the field after hurting his finger during fielding. On his third ball a huge appeal for LBW was heard from the mouths of New Zealand team, with Babar on strike. The Umpire did not move so the Kiwis decided to review it. To their hard luck, the impact was outside and Babar was given another life for the second time in this game.
Right-handed Babar, sporadically, kept on playing eye-pleasing shots to keep the game interesting while trying to rebuild the innings. Meanwhile, Ajaz Patel came back and was welcomed with two boundaries by the beast Babar. New Zealand needed to struck the diabolical timber of Babar who was not in the mood to make mistakes. He kept on timing shots perfectly, the quick outfield kept on helping him. Just like this, swiftly Babar Azam reached his half-century. On his way to this half century, he thrashed Mohammad Yousuf’s record of most runs by a Pakistan player in a calendar year. Seeing things slipping out of hands, the captain Tim Southee decided to bring pace back into the attack and instead of handing the ball to Patel, he started rolling his arms over the pitch. Change brought the visitors some luck and one of the standing batters fell.
Saud Shakeel, it was this time, who could not play his shot properly and gave away his wicket after Henry Nicholls, standing at gully, took a comfortable catch. Fourth fell for Pakistan at the stroke of Lunch and in came Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was in the playing XI after 4 years to play a Test match for the first time in Pakistan. The Wicket-keeper batter opened his accounts with an immaculate boundary off Sodhi and finally call for Lunch was made signalling the end of the first session. 30 overs ended and Pakistan was at 115 with 4 timbers down. Teams went in and came back after Lunch. Second session started with ball in Southee’s hands. Owing to Sarfaraz’s fumble, New Zealand got a chance of running Babar out. A direct hit would have seen Babar leave the field and Pakistan in difficulty again but fortune favoured the hosts and the Skipper got a reprieve. Ajaz Patel continued from the other end and kept on taking the ball in turns with his skipper. Similarly, Sarfaraz kept on complementing his skipper, who made sure boundaries remained in the game. The runs were flowing at the rate of nearly 4 RPO and by the end of 38th, Pakistan was cruising safely at 144/4. Neil Wagner came back for his 2nd over in place of his captain, who decided to bowl from the other end replacing Ajaz Patel. At this point, pacers were bowling from both ends.
The visitors needed a wicket but it was not coming. Southee had ran out of options and everything seemed to be going against his team. Babar was nearing his 100 and was not budging even an inch. Sarfaraz was helping him put the pressure back on the bowlers. Pakistan was back in the game. Wagner and Southee continued for a while. Babar was having an amazing day at office. There was just a mini void, which called for him not getting dismissed before converting his double figures into triple. Patel got the ball instead of Southee but to no avail. Not a long while later, 4 runs from an overthrow pushed Babar into his nervous nineties. Meanwhile, Babar scampered past Joe Root in the list of the leading run scorers in the Tests this year. Now he was standing at crease everso confidently with his red-striped Gray-Nicolls bat, at unbeaten 97 runs. What a day it was for Babar! Time Southee and Michael Bracewell replaced Ajaz Patel and Neil Wagner. Southee bowled to Sarfaraz who decided not to play it and the ball after touching the thigh pad landed in Blundell, the Wicket-keeper’s hands. There was a huge appeal after which Umpire raised his fingers. New Zealand was relieved but Sarfaraz was quick to review the decision. Third Umpire told that the ball did not collide with the bat and so Sarfaraz was saved from taking the long walk. The visitors once again returned dejected. Bracewell, in his first over, after returning bowled a maiden over to Babar Azam who was at 97. Things looked a little tensed. Nevertheless, Babar Azam, as has become a second nature for him, made the pressure evaporate by hitting a ginormous six off Bracewell on the first ball of his next over. The six brought a 100 for Babar, his first ton out of the 8 which was completed by a six.
Michael Bracewell took a beating from Babar in his next over as well, probably, as a punishment for him for the maiden he bowled to the Pakistani skipper. Following his footsteps, Sarfaraz was playing more boldly as well. Things were beyond repair for New Zealand. Pakistan for the first time after many Test matches were out of the panic state and did not look to be in the mood to enter that state any time soon. Two of their most experienced batters were on the field, runs were flowing in smoothly and opposition bowlers were floundering to hear the ball hit the timber. Amidst all the frustration for visitors, Tea break started and teams started striding in. Pakistan batters, although, did not look like they needed anything to boost them, the Kiwis were in need of some time away from their unfruitful struggle.
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The final and third session of the day started. Sarfaraz was lurking near his 50, Babar was at 119. Kiwis were definitely missing their apex seamer Trent Boult, who is busy playing BBL in Australia. Anyhow, Ish Sodhi came in to bowl, seeing that the bowl is now old and cracks much more mature. Neil Wagner came from the other end. The game kept running single-sided. Sarfaraz, however, needed a physio soon, after he dived in an attempt to reach the crease. He looked in pain but stayed to bat. Even hobbled towards the pavilion once, which looked like he is going back but still stayed on the crease and finally reached his fifty in the next over. A boundary was hit by Sarfaraz to celebrate his fifty. 65 overs ended and Pakistan was at 245/4 with Babar and Sarfaraz still on strike.
Wagner and Ish Sodhi were recruited by Southee to bowl and soon Southee himself came in place of Sodhi. Bowlers were getting replaced one after another, but Pakistan batters remained unbothered. Though, flow of runs was slow and boundaries became more infrequent, the presence of these two batters in itself was a great threat for the visitors.
Fast forward to 82nd over reaching which New Zealand recruited Daryl Mitchell to bowl a few overs, maybe to pay back for dropping Babar’s catch when he was at 12. The 82nd over saw Babar reaching 150 runs. The day was nearing its end and Pakistan reached 300 mark. Sarfaraz was still with Babar Azam and was hoping to reach his century to make the comeback more unforgettable. However, sadly for Sarfaraz this wish was not granted for he was sent back by Ajaz Patel in 86th over after Daryl Mitchell finally did not drop his catch. Sarfaraz had to go. Salman Ali Agha came in to bat for the remaining few overs of the day.
In the last over before the day ended, a drama occurred where Aleem Dar declared Babar Azam out on an appeal for LBW by Ajaz Patel. Babar went to the third umpire who agreed with him and asked Dar to change his decision. New Zealand’s hopes to get rid of Babar before day ends, died a merciless death and stumps were called by Umpires as 90 overs were completed.
