Pakistan edge towards total on day five against Blackcaps

Pakistan lost just one wicket in two sessions before collapsing in the final session of the day to hand New Zealand a 138 run win in Hamilton.

Pakistan’s 2-0 series defeat in New Zealand has been compounded by the news that the entire team has been fined for maintaining a slow over rate in the second Test in Hamilton.

A 131-run opening partnership between Sami Aslam and captain Azhar Ali on Tuesday put Pakistan in a strong position to force a draw in the second test against New Zealand. We had that, we had the run-rate going but in the last session, we did not bat well. The Pakistan top order looked shaky on seaming wickets in New Zealand and they are trailing 1-0 in the series. Pakistan began the final session placed comfortably on 158 for 1, with an outside chance to perhaps even win the match.

Eleven overs remained; Pakistan would only last 13 more balls, as Neil Wagner, coming on for Southee, blasted out the last three.

The Seddon Park pitch, which had played well for two days, suddenly became a minefield when the second new ball was taken and it started to seam and kick off. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a say.

Tom Latham snapped out of a batting slump with a half-century as New Zealand set about compiling a healthy lead on the fourth day of the second Test against Pakistan on Monday. His defensive fields had kept Pakistan in the game without letting them get too close, and now, they asked the batsmen to take risks.

Unperturbed, Santner again gave the ball some air in the first over after tea in an attempt to induce a false stroke and Babar Azam duly obliged, falling the same way as his captain for 16. Younis Khan, on his 39th birthday, struggled to 11 before he was lbw to Southee and Pakistan was in some trouble at 218 for 6.

Colin de Grandhomme snapped up Sohail Khan for eight before Wagner removed Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Imran Khan all without scoring. Sharjeel has not played any match in the ongoing Test series but Rizwan is playing in the second Test where he has been bowled out for a first-ball duck. In doing so he went one behind the great Martin Crowe, who leads the way for New Zealand with 17 centuries.