A crucial unbroken 128-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq saw Pakistan regain control of the first Test against New Zealand on the second day on Saturday. The salvage mission for the fifth wicket took Pakistan to 235 for four at stumps, trailing New Zealand's first innings 275 by 40 runs, with six wickets in hand.
Shafiq has produced the highest score of the Test so far to be unbeaten on 74 with his captain Misbah on 50 not out. The pair came together when New Zealand had seized the initiative in the middle session with three quick wickets to have Pakistan teetering at 107 for four. The in-form Misbah grafted for more than three hours and was content to play the anchor role while Shafiq kept the scoreboard ticking over, finding boundaries with ease.
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori rotated his bowlers and even resorted to using part-timers Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill but Shafiq belted both of them out of the attack, scoring freely on both sides of the wicket. Shafiq reached his 50 tickling an attempted yorker from Brent Arnel to fine-leg for a single and 14 overs later Misbah reached his milestone, hitting Williamson to the boundary.
Tim Southee failed to add to his overnight 56 while Kane Williamson reached 50 before he fell and Arnel was the last batsman to be dismissed. Tanvir Ahmed had the best return of the Pakistan bowlers with four for 63. Abdur Rehman, who tied up New Zealand on the first day, was not required on the second morning and did not add to his overnight figures of three for 51.
New Zealand then made the best possible start in Pakistan's innings when Chris Martin dismissed Mohammad Hafeez without scoring in the opening over, caught at second slip by Tim McIntosh. They were seldom troubled before the initiative changed in a brief spell after the break.
Umar continued to plunder the boundaries and had reached 54, including 11 fours. Younis Khan had five fours in his 23 when he attempted a similar shot to Umar and sent a leading edge back to the bowler to give Arnel his second wicket. That was to be the end of New Zealand successes for the day as Misbah and Shafiq regained the initiative. For New Zealand Arnel has two for 53 and Martin two for 67, but the two most effective bowlers were Southee, who yielded only 37 runs from 19 overs and genuinely troubled the batsmen, while Vettori conceded 29 runs in 22 overs.
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SCOREBOARD
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New Zealand 1st innings
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T. McIntosh c Younis b Tanvir 5
B. McCullum c Azhar b Gul 56
M. Guptill c Misbah b Rehman 50
R. Taylor c Adnan b Rehman 6
J. Ryder run out (Wahab Riaz) 22
K. Williamson c Adnan b Tanvir 50
R. Young lbw Abdur Rehman 14
D. Vettori lbw Tanvir Ahmed 0
T. Southee c Younis b Gul 56
B. Arnel c Wahab b Tanvir 8
C. Martin not out 0
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Extras: (lb6, w1, nb1) 8
Total: (all out, 97.5 overs) 275
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Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-92, 3-99, 4-135, 5-158, 6-176, 7-177, 8-261, 9-274, 10-275.
Bowling: Umar Gul 24-3-84-2, Tanvir Ahmed 18.5-2-63-4, Wahab Riaz 17-4-47-0 (1nb), Younis Khan 6-1-20-0, Abdur Rehman 30-13-51-3, Mohammad Hafeez 2-1-4-0.
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Pakistan 1st innings
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M. Hafeez c McIntosh b Martin 0
T. Umar c Williamson b Arnel 54
Azhar Ali c Young b Martin 24
Younis Khan c and b Arnel 23
Misbah-ul-Haq not out 50
Asad Shafiq not out 74
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Extras: (lb6, w1, nb3) 10
Total: (4 wicket; 80 overs) 235
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Fall of wickets: 1-0, 7-72, 3-104, 4-107.
To bat: Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz
Bowling: Martin 16-3-67-2 (2nb, 1w), Southee 19-7-37-0, Arnel 16-2-53-2, Vettori 22-10-29-0 (1nb), Williamson 5-0-30-0, Guptill 2-0-13-0
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS), Rod Tucker (AUS)
Third umpire: Gary Baxter (NZL)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI).
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