PAK vs NZ: Pakistan cricket team and New Zealand cricket team are facing each other in the first match on Tuesday, January 3. Moreover, the game is being played at National Stadium Karachi in Karachi, Pakistan.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee won the toss and he decided to bat first at the batting-friendly pitch. Tom Latham and Devon Conway had a brilliant start with a 134 runs partnership for the first wicket.
Devon Conway scored a century yet again continuing his fine run of form. However, the middle order of New Zealand did not continue the momentum as wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
An extraordinary 10th-wicket partnership of 104 runs between Azaj Patel and Matt Henry brought back momentum. This partnership is one of the best for New Zealand in terms of 10th wicket. The Kiwis were all out for 449 runs in 131 overs in the first inning.
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The men in green had a tough start but they capitalized well in the first session of day two. Imam-ul-Haq scored 80 runs from 140 balls with a strike rate of 57.14.
However, the significance of this test match and this test series is less for the men in green. This is because Pakistan are out of contention for the World Test Championship final in July.
PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam takes an exceptional DRS review even after the whole team was unsure about it
New Zealand were running away with the game on the first day itself. They played quite well on the flat pitch. A lot of noise is being made on such pitches being made in Pakistan for a test match.
Henry Nicholls nicked the ball but no one was convinced of an edge except Babar Azam. He took the review on gut feeling and it delivered as the snicko technology caught the mini spike off the bat.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza, Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (c), Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel.
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