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Pakistan reduce New Zealand to 26/2 at Stumps after being bowled out for 348 with a 74-run lead

Pak should try to defend 150 or 170 in mind. There is more chance of doing that for them then cahsing anything above 150.
 
What an irony, the script could not be better here, Lead is 74 and it is Abu-Dhabi again.
 
Look at how pathetically we played Kiwi spinners and we will be batting last!
 
Ok 74 is still good. Hope we can get out NZ under 200. Well balanced test match!
 
What a pathetic shot by Sarfraz. Cant believe he was protecting the tail or being part of one.

He is the one who needs protection. Just threw away all the hard work.

Game in balance since we have to bat last
 
Should've gotten 400 given the platform provided by Azhar and Shafiq.

Thanks to our pathetic openers and lower order.
 
I predicted 350 score yesterday short by two. 74 lead is not much if kiwis good batters get stuck in .
 
Sommerwell with watling batted well
Our tail can’t even do half of that
 
Usual pattern..good partnership followed by a big collapse.
Not just for Pakistan, but every team has the same problem in the UAE.

Anyway, lets stay positive. Remember we should have won the first game and only lost by 4 runs...
 
Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for 62 runs.
 
That's some crazy collapse

Game is 50/50 now.

In face, kiwis are probably favourites as pak can't chase
 
Usual pattern..good partnership followed by a big collapse.
Not just for Pakistan, but every team has the same problem in the UAE.

Anyway, lets stay positive. Remember we should have won the first game and only lost by 4 runs...

Lets be positive when we have lost games against SL and NZ chasing small totals :facepalm:
 
Pakistan needs to get new zealand all out for 220 or under. A target of 130 + here will be tricky.
 
This shows how important players like Shadab and Faheem or other bowling all rounders are for Pak. With tjia fragile batting you need players down the order who can give you atleast 15, 20 runs each. Faheem and Shadab created couple pf good partnerships in UK.
 
Babars early wicket was main problem him and Sarfraz could have taken a big lead
 
Considering pak r 0/2 in 2nd innings, Yasir is last hope anything over 190 will be curtains fr pak.
 
A consistently good performance isn't possible in Pakistan cricket. It has to be a roller-coaster ride. Highs and Downs always come together.
 
Need a hasan and Yasir special now, also cant afford to give any gift runs. sarfraz needs to captain well here!
 
Hopefully lightning doesn't strike twice. Need to dismiss Kiwis for less than 220.
 
Hope they tell Hafeez to bend the elbow here, he has nothing to lose.
 
Need a hasan and Yasir special now, also cant afford to give any gift runs. sarfraz needs to captain well here!

Yes it was a pitiful collapse but every team suffers the same fate in the UAE.
England, Aussies, Sri Lanka etc etc etc.

Even the games we lost we were dominating which means the other teams collapsed too.
So lets have some perspective.

We will have to chase to win this game, we don't know what the total will be yet but lets get behind these boys and hope they can crack it this time. We cam close the first game and really should have won it so this game gives us the opportunity to right that wrong (looking at it from a glass half full way).
 
70-30 in favour of Pakistan. If Kiwis score more than 250 in second innings, it will be 30-70 to Pakistan
 
Considering the number of deliveries that Azhar and Shafiq faced, they should have added 50-60 runs collectively, which means a lead of 120-130 and New Zealand would have been out of the game for good.

However, their cowardly tuk tuk against the second new ball where they limped af a run rate of 1 for over 10 overs has allowed New Zealand an opening in this game.

This has been the story of their careers - even when they score, they hardly have any impact and fail to seize control of the game and impose themselves on the opposition.

I do not want to hear the nonsense that strike rate does not matter in Tests. It matters, and if matters a lot. It is imperative to maintain a strike rate of above 50 and that is why the vast majority (if not all) of the top class middle-order batsmen have a strike rate of over 50.

If strike rate did not matter, the likes of Kohli, Smith, Root etc. would not have had strike rates of 55+. They could follow the footsteps of our two legends and perhaps average even higher because of taking less risks.

Younis was also wrong to maintain a strike rate of 50+ because apparently that is not the right way of playing Test cricket.

Azhar and Shafiq are poor batsmen who score poor hundreds, and that is why we are a poor team.

If we win this game, people will do bhangra that their mature innings were justified, but at the same time, they will ignore the fact that they failed to kill the game when they had the chance.

Yes the lower-order failed and Captain Fantastic played another fantastic innings with Bilal exhibiting his all-round credentials again, but the failings of the lower-order had nothing to do with the failure of our “seniors” to put the game to bed.
 
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Sarfarz future as a test captain has to be decided after SA tour.He does not have place in the team with his 25 average as captain.Rizwan can score these 20s and is better keeper with bright future.
 
PAK’s game, surely they won’t make same mistake 2nd time. Also, 1st time PAK had like 2 days to score 175, so players took it comfortably- this time I think there will be an asking rate, which is good for PAK - my experience is you need some crisis/challenge in PAK cricket.

But a great finish cooking.
 
Early strike just what we needed.

New zealand openers as bad a ours.
 
Considering the number of deliveries that Azhar and Shafiq faced, they should have added 50-60 runs collectively, which means a lead of 120-130 and New Zealand would have been out of the game for good.

However, their cowardly tuk tuk against the second new ball where they limped af a run rate of 1 for over 10 overs has allowed New Zealand an opening in this game.

This has been the story of their careers - even when they score, they hardly have any impact and fail to seize control of the game and impose themselves on the opposition.

I do not want to hear the nonsense that strike rate does not matter in Tests. It matters, and if matters a lot. It is imperative to maintain a strike rate of above 50 and that is why the vast majority (if not all) of the top class middle-order batsmen have a strike rate of over 50.

If strike rate did not matter, the likes of Kohli, Smith, Root etc. would not have had strike rates of 55+. They could follow the footsteps of our two legends and perhaps average even higher because of taking less risks.

Younis was also wrong to maintain a strike rate of 50+ because apparently that is not the right way of playing Test cricket.

Azhar and Shafiq are poor batsmen who score poor hundreds, and that is why we are a poor team.

If we win this game, people will do bhangra that their mature innings were justified, but at the same time, they will ignore the fact that they failed to kill the game when they had the chance.

Yes the lower-order failed and Captain Fantastic played another fantastic innings with Bilal exhibiting his all-round credentials again, but the failings of the lower-order had nothing to do with the failure of our “seniors” to put the game to bed.
Agreed ,,,,Strike rate,openers,lower order and specialist captain.many to count.Captain knock was more disgraceful.
 
Agreed ,,,,Strike rate,openers,lower order and specialist captain.many to count.Captain knock was more disgraceful.

argh yes but nothing was more disgraceful then the attitude of the some so called fans, experts here on PP.
 
AFRIDI AFRIDI AFRIDI

:afridi

Lala zinda hai. This time his soul is in the body of a tall boy.
 
Why would you not have a 3rd slip. When will Sarfraz learn?

Straight forward chance.

New man what are you thinking
 
KW was a goner there.

When are we going to be aggressive. Seriously 2 slips for new ball with guy angling across
 
Considering the number of deliveries that Azhar and Shafiq faced, they should have added 50-60 runs collectively, which means a lead of 120-130 and New Zealand would have been out of the game for good.

However, their cowardly tuk tuk against the second new ball where they limped af a run rate of 1 for over 10 overs has allowed New Zealand an opening in this game.

This has been the story of their careers - even when they score, they hardly have any impact and fail to seize control of the game and impose themselves on the opposition.

I do not want to hear the nonsense that strike rate does not matter in Tests. It matters, and if matters a lot. It is imperative to maintain a strike rate of above 50 and that is why the vast majority (if not all) of the top class middle-order batsmen have a strike rate of over 50.

If strike rate did not matter, the likes of Kohli, Smith, Root etc. would not have had strike rates of 55+. They could follow the footsteps of our two legends and perhaps average even higher because of taking less risks.

Younis was also wrong to maintain a strike rate of 50+ because apparently that is not the right way of playing Test cricket.

Azhar and Shafiq are poor batsmen who score poor hundreds, and that is why we are a poor team.

If we win this game, people will do bhangra that their mature innings were justified, but at the same time, they will ignore the fact that they failed to kill the game when they had the chance.

Yes the lower-order failed and Captain Fantastic played another fantastic innings with Bilal exhibiting his all-round credentials again, but the failings of the lower-order had nothing to do with the failure of our “seniors” to put the game to bed.

Spot on this - this is more like it rather than the Hafeez stuff that was posted yesterday.
 
Considering the number of deliveries that Azhar and Shafiq faced, they should have added 50-60 runs collectively, which means a lead of 120-130 and New Zealand would have been out of the game for good.

However, their cowardly tuk tuk against the second new ball where they limped af a run rate of 1 for over 10 overs has allowed New Zealand an opening in this game.

This has been the story of their careers - even when they score, they hardly have any impact and fail to seize control of the game and impose themselves on the opposition.

I do not want to hear the nonsense that strike rate does not matter in Tests. It matters, and if matters a lot. It is imperative to maintain a strike rate of above 50 and that is why the vast majority (if not all) of the top class middle-order batsmen have a strike rate of over 50.

If strike rate did not matter, the likes of Kohli, Smith, Root etc. would not have had strike rates of 55+. They could follow the footsteps of our two legends and perhaps average even higher because of taking less risks.

Younis was also wrong to maintain a strike rate of 50+ because apparently that is not the right way of playing Test cricket.

Azhar and Shafiq are poor batsmen who score poor hundreds, and that is why we are a poor team.

If we win this game, people will do bhangra that their mature innings were justified, but at the same time, they will ignore the fact that they failed to kill the game when they had the chance.

Yes the lower-order failed and Captain Fantastic played another fantastic innings with Bilal exhibiting his all-round credentials again, but the failings of the lower-order had nothing to do with the failure of our “seniors” to put the game to bed.

They did what they could do. As soon as they tried to play slightly quicker they ended up giving their wickets away. Reality is thats the only way for them to score runs and thats the best we have for now. The rest of the batting line up should adopt.
 
what do you make of Captain batting and Azhar knock??

I saw till lunch, and they batted splendidly- no fault of Azhar for sure today.

Captain is to lead the team, and he has kept decently here - in UAE, WK hardly gets the chance to catch or stump, but I can’t recall him missing anything regulation, batting was always a bonus & he managed to touch his average as Captain.

Not bad if PAK wins this. In any case, he must led PAK to SAF - I don’t want a young captain taking team to lions den.
 
SSA is going to trouble SAF top order for sure. But, I see Rahat has taken a wicket in 1st spell today - that makes it even for Ul Haq, so not completely confident that SSA is going to play at 1st Test.
 
I'll take a 176 chase once again. It would be a great effort to restrict NZ to that lead. I don't think this pitch is turning that much compared to the first test match. The pitch doesn't seem to have any demons. It's just that Pakistan decided to be Pakistan in the 1st innings. So 176 would be a terrific effort on the part of the bowlers.
 
Sarfarz future as a test captain has to be decided after SA tour.He does not have place in the team with his 25 average as captain.Rizwan can score these 20s and is better keeper with bright future.

After SA series he should be removed. Azhar should take over the Test captaincy.
 
Pakistan have bolted every target over the last 12 months or so. We will probably chase if this time because of Law of Averages.
 
Kaneria was a master at wiping out the tail. Something for Yasir to learn.
 
I think Pakistan will be comfortable chasing anything below 150. Above that I cannot guarantee..lol
 
Once again Sarfraz had a great game with his captaincy and even when to review and when not to. Sarfraz could have played a better shot but what do you expect when he was trying to steal a single to get to other end with tight bowling at the time.
Early two kiwi wickets have proven the perfect approach by Pakistan middle order. Azhar actually batted fluently this inning except the 10 odd overs when new ball was taken which is understandable unless you are out to prove everything Pak does is wrong.
 
Looking forward to continuation of great fight tomorrow, and hopefully it would not come to our fragile tail to score the final runs.
 
This test is just going the same way as the 1st test and I am afraid even the result might be same. Anything above 150 is almost impossible for our fragile batting to chase. Let's hope we don't have to chase more than 100 in the 4th Inns.
 
Pakistan has to get Kiwiz out for below 220.

Anything over 150 will be tricky.
 
Pakistan has to get Kiwiz out for below 220.

Anything over 150 will be tricky.

Anything above 120 is New Zealand's game to lose. We all know how our batting falls like nine pins when put under a slight bit of pressure. The pressure is immense here , a lot more than the first test where it was only a test match at stake, here not only the series but the 50 yrs record of Kiwis not winning a test series against us outside New Zealand is at stake.
 
you are being overtly pessimistic . Chasing around 150 on this docile pitch will not be a issue .
 
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