Pakistan retain same squad for Australia Test tour

Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals in Australia, a squad for which will be announced later.

After six more deliveries in the second session, rain once again played spoilsport delaying play for another three overs following which Pakistan were bowled out for 215 with Southee completing a six-wicket haul.

Pakistan cricket selectors on Monday retained the same 16-member squad, which is now playing in New Zealand for next month’s three-match Test series against Australia.

Pakistan went into the series with 109 points in the team rankings led by India (115), are now on 102 points and tied with South Africa but ahead on decimal points.

Southee for his brilliant bowling performance in the match, was awarded man of the match. They won the toss on a lush green surface and celebrated with a wicket in the first over.

The hosts needed nine wickets in the final session and a draw appeared the most probable result, but the Asian side capitulated and handed New Zealand a 138-run win.

“We had that partnership but couldn’t really get the run rate going and I think we probably left a little too much to do in the last session”.

Williamson suggested Pakistan’s collapse had not been spurred by any cataclysmic shifts on strategy on New Zealand’s part.

Mitchell Santner found some turn and bounce but not enough menace to unnerve Pakistan’s opening pair whose confidence was growing in their best start of the series.

The visitors, however, with 211 runs needed from 34 overs in the final session and with nine wickets in hand, changed their approach after the break and chose to attack. Tim Southee finished with figures of 6 for 80 in Pakistan’s first innings.

Sarfraz Ahmed was promoted to number four to help quicken the scoring rate and had moved to 19 from 21 balls when he was run out by Colin de Grandhomme’s rocket arm from fine leg after pushing for a risky second run. With the visitors having batted the first four hours of the day without losing a wicket, it was assumed that the Hamilton pitch had lost its sting.

While Mohammad Amir claimed the first wicket of the day when he dismissed Jeet Raval for two in the eighth over, it was the third and fourth seamers – Imran Khan and Wahab Riaz – who enjoyed success in the afternoon.