Misbah-ul-Haq to lead Pakistan in Test series against Australia

The result meant Pakistan slipped from second to fourth position in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings, while New Zealand moved up one place to sixth.

Before the match the 32-year-old Taylor revealed the problems he has had with a pterygium, or a growth, on his left eye. Last six wickets fell down in a span of 11 overs.

For much of the final day it was hard to discern any real intent on Pakistan’s part to puruse what would have been the highest-successful run chase in a test in New Zealand. That presented us with a few opportunities.

“I wanted to get a bit more side on”.

In the series opener in Christchurch, Pakistan were ruled to be two overs short of their target of 103 overs at Hagley Oval, where they were defeated by eight wickets.

When New Zealand last won a series against Pakistan in 1985, that 2-0 series triumph came with test victories in Auckland and Dunedin after the first test was drawn in Wellington.

The Black Caps have made a cleansweep of the two test series against Pakistan.

Tom Latham’s partnerships of 96 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson (41) and 52 for the third with Taylor tightened the hosts’ grip on the proceedings and they avoided the early loss of wickets which might have brought Pakistan back into the match.

With roughly four sessions of the Test match lost to rain, there was less wear and tear on the Seddon Park pitch than a typical fifth-day surface.

Aslam was 75 not out, Babar Azam was 16 and with a minimum 34 overs left on the final day, Pakistan needed an unlikely 211 more runs to win at 6.21 runs per over. The way [Tom] Latham played and set up the innings was excellent.

He hit 19 runs from 21 balls but, when he was out, Pakistan gave up the chase.

Ross Taylor was on 37 with Henry Nicholls unbeaten on nine. In hindsight, he may have wished he hadn’t taken a single off the first ball of Wagner’s spell and exposed Pakistan’s tail to his pace and bounce.

Taylor survived an lbw decision on 16 – given out to Wahab Riaz before reviewing to be saved by a front-foot no-ball, although the delivery was also missing the stumps.

Sohail Khan went for just 8 after an irresponsible shot to cover. Later wicketkeeper B.J. Watling took 40 deliveries to reach 15 not out at the declaration. Imran was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets. Even yesterday, the wicket looked good.