In the first Test of the series against New Zealand, Imam ul Haq was denied a richly deserved century. The left-handed batsman saved the day and added to Sarfaraz Ahmed’s vital 85-run partnership. Following Sarfaraz’s expulsion, Haq continued to bat and into the nervous 90s.
Haq was stumped with 4 runs remaining to reach the 100-run milestone. The removal of the left-handed batsman infuriated him, and on his way back to the pavilion, he violently crashed into a chair. He also hit his bat on the field to vent his annoyance before leaving the playing area.
Imam’s wicket saw Pakistan lose their 7th batsmen and left them reeling at 206/7 in 71.5 overs. Mohammad Wasim Jr took over the charge after his dismissal and scored a crucial 43 off 57.
For the home team, Saud Shakeel and Mir Hamza are now working hard and batting well. There are currently less than 25 overs left in the game, and Pakistan lead by more than 100 runs.
Babar Azam and Agha Salman both scored hundreds as Pakistan posted a significant total of 438 on the scoreboard. NZ made a stunning comeback and scored a whopping 612/9 to take the lead by 174 runs. At 200, Kane Williamson was still unbeaten, and Tom Latham scored 113 off 191 balls. Ish Sodhi also played a significant role in the outcome and finished with 65 out of 180 scores.
By taking wickets at regular intervals, NZ increased their chances of an unexpected victory. However, some of Pakistan’s hitters executed their tasks to a T, eliminating the visitors from the match. The first Test of the series is essentially going to end without a conclusion.
From January 2 to January 6, the second and final Test of the series will be played at the same location (National Stadium, Karachi).
