KARACHI: New Zealand were finally bundled out for 449 in the post-lunch session of day two of the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi on Tuesday. Experts say Pakistan have never won a match after conceding 449 or more runs in first innings of a Test match.
Abrar Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets for 149 runs. Abrar Ahmed has already taken 27 wickets for Pakistan, no Pakistan bowler had taken more than him after first four Tests of career. Abrar still has an innings to go to further improve the record.
Naseem ended the innings with 3 wickets, same as spinner Salman Agha. Interestingly, Naseem Shah has taken more wickets in this innings (3) than rest of the Pakistan pacers have taken in their last four Tests (2).
New Zealand are bowled out but not before Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel added 104 runs for the 10th wicket, the highest against Pakistan since 107* runs by AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel at Abu Dhabi in 2010.
Both players notching Test PB’s en-route to recording the highest 10th-wicket partnership by a visiting pair to Pakistan.
Devon Conway had scored a century to give New Zealand a good start in the match while Tom Latham and Tom Blundell scored half-centuries and Matt Henry slammed an unbeaten half-century. Both the teams are all but out of contention for a place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship Final.
Meanwhile, experts say except for one occasion, Pakistan have never won a match after conceding 449 or more runs in first innings of a Test match. In 70 years of Pakistan’s Test history, the only team to lose to Pakistan after scoring 449 or more in team’s first innings is India. India scored 449 in their first innings against Pakistan at Bengaluru in 2005 and lost the match by 168 runs.
