Salman drops Blundel as New Zealand rebuild
Cricket
Salman drops Blundel as New Zealand rebuild
KARACHI (Web Desk) – New Zealand’s Tom Blundell was given a second chance when Abrar Ahmed delivered a full outside off pitch ball and Blundell responded with minimal footwork and a push. The ball produced an outside edge and went past the wicketkeeper s gloves towards the first slip, but Agha Salman, who was standing there, dropped the catch.
Earlier, Pakistan hit back with three wickets as New Zealand extended its lead to 192 at tea amid the umpires making misjudgements on an eventful fourth day of the second test on Thursday.
New Zealand took a 41-run, first-innings lead after dismissing Pakistan for 408, and reached tea at 151-4 with umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar taking center stage.
New Zealand successfully overturned Wharf’s two leg before decisions in favor of legspinner Abrar Ahmed and Dar erred when his caught behind ruling against Henry Nicholls (5) was overturned.
Pakistan didn’t go for an lbw referral against Tom Latham (62) after Wharf ruled for the batter when video suggested the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Tom Blundell successfully overturned an lbw decision before he scored and was dropped by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed in the last over of the session. He was not out on 22 and Michael Bracewell unbeaten on 10.
Latham and Kane Williamson’s (41) century stand pushed New Zealand ahead by 155 runs before Pakistan struck three times in the space of 14 runs.
Latham was brilliantly snapped up by Abrar Ahmed, who plucked a low left-handed catch at square leg to break a threatening 114-run stand.
Williamson followed when Ahmed finally had him lbw after twice wasting two reviews against the former captain before lunch.
Hasan Ali, playing his first test since July, picked up his first wicket when Nicholls mistimed a pull shot and was caught at mid-off.
Latham dominated the spinners with sweep shots and hit 11 boundaries. He survived a chance just before his 25th half-century when Babar Azam dropped a difficult catch at midwicket.
Earlier, Devon Conway was out for a golden duck before Latham and Williamson guided New Zealand to 76-1 by lunch for an overall lead of 117 runs.
Left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza picked up his first test wicket in four years when he had first-innings century-maker Conway clean bowled off the first ball when it shaped into the left-hander and struck the off stump after clipping Conway’s pads.
Hamza was wicketless in the drawn first test last week after being recalled for the first time since 2018 for New Zealand’s first test tour to Pakistan in 20 years.
Williamson and Latham batted with patience against pace on a pitch which looked good for batting, with only the odd ball keeping low and hardly any turn for the spinners.
Legspinner Ish Sodhi (3-95) wrapped up Pakistan’s first innings in the first over when he had No. 11 Abrar Ahmed trapped. Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel picked up 3-88. Pakistan lost its last five wickets for 23 runs.
