On Friday, Pakistan’s final pair, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed, survived 21 balls in the waning light, while Sarfaraz Ahmed struck a fighting century to prevent New Zealand from winning the second Test in Karachi.
After dismissing Sarfaraz for a career-high 118 with 39 balls remaining in the match, New Zealand were within striking distance of winning the series.
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However, when umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar declared the light unfeasible to continue with three overs remaining, as dusk settled, Naseem scored 15 runs and Ahmed scored 7, guiding Pakistan to 304-9 in pursuit of a 319-run target.
After the first Test, also played in Karachi, which ended in a draw, the two-match series ended 0-0, denying New Zealand their first series victory in Pakistan in 53 years.
Tim Southee bowled Agha Salman for 30 on the fourth delivery after New Zealand took the second new ball. This ended a 70-run partnership for the seventh wicket, and Bracewell bowled Sarfaraz to give New Zealand hope of winning.
But Sarfaraz’s fourth Test century, his first in eight years, set Pakistan on the path to a hard-fought draw.
At lunch, with the score at 125-5, Pakistan were in danger of losing, but Sarfaraz and Saud Shakeel, who made 32, led the fight back with a six-wicket stand of 123 in three hours.
Sarfaraz sped up the run rate by smashing three boundaries and a six off spinner Michael Bracewell before driving pacer Matt Henry for two to reach his hundred. Pakistan reached 179-5 at tea, needing 140 runs in the remaining 31 overs.
But Pakistan couldn’t reach the goal after losing Sarfaraz, Hasan Ali (five), and Salman in 14 runs.
In a previous Test in Pakistan, the home team’s 314 run victory over Australia in Karachi in 1994 was the best.
Sarfaraz staged a comeback in the drawn first Test, which was also played in his hometown of Karachi. He scored 335 runs, including three fifties and a hundred, and was fired as captain of all three formats in October 2019.
In total, Sarfaraz batted for four hours and 48 minutes and struck nine boundaries and a six, surpassing his previous best of 112 against the same opponents eight years ago in Dubai.
Ish Sodhi and spinner Michael Bracewell (4-75) took three wickets in the first session to jolt Pakistan.
Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq (12), captain Babar Azam (27) and Shan Masood (35) before reaching three figures, returning from a two-run deficit.
As the ball spun in and crashed into the stumps, Haq was hit by a hasty drive from Sodhi.
After that, Azam and Masood scored 42 runs and appeared to be doing well when Bracewell entered the game.
Masood mishit a lofted shot and was caught by Kane Williamson at mid-off as he first removed Azam with a sharp turning delivery that was edged to wicketkeeper Tom Latham.
Source: AFP
