Pak vs NZ: Pakistan is at 115-4 at lunch, Babar Azam gets another fifty

• Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel put up 62 runs for the fourth wicket before Tim Southee removed him.
• Babar, who has 54 runs off 82 balls, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has 4 runs off 3 balls.
• Sarfaraz Ahmed playing his first Test in four years.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s score was 115/4 before lunch on Monday at the National Bank Cricket Arena, where the first Test was being played. In the first session, New Zealand’s bowlers made important breakthroughs that got rid of the top order.

Captain Babar Azam, on the other hand, put up a brave fight with a fifty that he didn’t lose, which calmed the early fears. Together with Saud Shakeel, he made a crucial 62-run stand for the fourth wicket before Tim Southee, the captain of the New Zealand team, took Shakeel out at the age of 22.

After the break, Babar, who has 54 runs off 82 balls, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has 4 runs off 3 balls and is playing his first Test in four years, will try to get their team out of the ditch.

Taking a page from England’s successful campaign in Pakistan, New Zealand also bet on spinners and went with three spinners on a pitch that looked the same as it did just six days ago when they played their last game.

When the home team chose to bat first, it got off to a bad start. For the first time in the history of men’s Test cricket, the first two wickets were taken by stumping.

When opener Abdullah Shafique walked down the track while being bowled by Ajaz Patel in the fourth over, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell moved the bells. Three overs later, Shan Masood did the same thing while being bowled by Michael Bracewell.

Imam-ul-Haq got 24 runs in 38 balls before Bracewell got his second wicket, which Southee caught at mid-off.

Also Read

Mickey Arthur accepts to coach Pakistan’s cricket team

Mickey Arthur's contract with Derbyshire will end soon. Saqlain Mushtaq's contract expires...