The 1st Test between Pakistan (438 & 311/8d) and New Zealand (612/9d & 61/1) ends in a draw

[MenInG]

The day of reckoning is upon us - Can Pakistan batters save the first Test?

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[jnaveen1980]

Lower order batsmen survive without any issues. Draw 75%. Assuming there is a collapse Pakistan doesn't have to survive the whole 90 overs. 70 to 75 overs survival will do assuming they go at rate of atleast 3 an over.

75 x 3 = 225 - 97 = 128 in 15 overs will be needed. Pakistan can bowl negative line and stifle them.

 

[sweep_shot]

I expect a draw.

New Zealand are no England.

 

[James]

Draw looks the favourite.

But NZ have a chance.

 

[Front Foot Pull]

Nz needing 120-130 in 20 overs in 2nd innings should be fun.

 

[Champ_Pal]

NZ played too slow to force a result on Day-5.
Ish Sodhi innings pushed the test match towards a draw. But it’s Pakistan. You never know.

 

[PakLFC]

Now NZ are too good for us as well. s there anyone we can defeat at tests even at home?

 

[ArabKnight]

If you are depending on a tail-ender (Nauman Ali) to perform a blockothon innings, then you deserve to loose.

There was a time where Nauman Ali averaged 35 with the bat, now that has dropped to 20.

He scored 97 once. Might as well open the innings with Nauman Ali.

Pakistan does not play any positive cricket whatsoever. They ask tailender debutants like Abrar Ahmed to bail them out & score big runs for them.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Now NZ are too good for us as well. s there anyone we can defeat at tests even at home?

NZ are a pretty good team. They are just not in the same level as England or Australia at the moment.

 

[PakLFC]

NZ are a pretty good team. They are just not in the same level as England or Australia at the moment.

At home we should be doing much better versus NZ.

 

[Asif321]

inevitable collapse .

 

[Asif321]

I expect a draw.

New Zealand are no England.

But Pakistan is Pakistan

 

[Kianig89]

another moment of submission the pounding continues R.I.P

 

[light]

Waqar seems to have had hair transplant. Looks good imo

 

[boomboomcheema]

Despite scoring 430+ in the first innings, Pakistan still struggling to avoid a defeat in this Test.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Benign pitch. This should be a draw.

 

[boomboomcheema]

And Nauman Ali goes..this wicket was wasted last night just to shield Babar Azam.

 

[boomboomcheema]

When you want the tailenders to dead bat and last long they perish in no time. This Nauman Ali was on a blockathon in the first innings but look at him now, gone.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Both Bracewell and Sodhi have pace to target the stumps which Ajaz has clearly lacked.

 

[ArabKnight]

Hiding being tailenders is not the way to play to cricket.

I think Babar should be ashamed for sending in Nauman ahead of him.

 

[Savak]

NZ bowlers especially their spinners have looked way more threatening than Pakistani spinners which tells you how third class minnow like our spin bowling has been for a while.

 

[SamNJ]

Both Bracewell and Sodhi have pace to target the stumps which Ajaz has clearly lacked.

Lacks accuracy too. Way too full at times.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

And Nauman Ali goes..this wicket was wasted last night just to shield Babar Azam.

That's the objective of night-watchman, isn't it ?

 

[sweep_shot]

This wicket is crucial for Pakistan. If these two can hang around till lunch, Pakistan should be okay.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Well played Babar Azam.

 

[imshally81]

Babar gone

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

What a horrible shot from Babar, as usual poor in 2nd innings when team needed him most.

 

[Asif321]

Gosh

 

[sweep_shot]

Oh no!

Babar is out.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Just sack this king of soft runs.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Bobby's struggles against the googly continue.

 

[shah_1]

Gantey ka king as two youtubers mock him )

 

[Champ_Pal]

Very poor shot from babar.

 

[MHN1293]

That was a horrible shot. Wasted a review as well

 

[Asif321]

Done and dusted

 

[sweep_shot]

Still trailing by 74 runs. 6 wickets in hand.

 

[Savak]

Babar as usual habitually going missing when the team needs him to play a big daddy knock.

I hope Sethi fires this mental midget from the captaincy to bring him down to earth

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan have become minnows even at home , the situation is very grave .

 

[Savak]

NZ stepped their game up when they needed to the most even though the wicket is so called dead.

 

[sweep_shot]

Imam, Shakeel, Sarfaraz, and Agha.

Still quite a bit of batting left.

 

[Asif321]

What happened to Saud ?

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan seriously need to focuss on Test Cricket , including coaching staff , team composition , pitches etc.

 

[MHN1293]

NZ stepped their game up when they needed to the most even though the wicket is so called dead.

Tbh half the wickets have been from stupid shots and mistakes on the batsmens ends

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

No doubt it stayed low but a batter with such high caliber should assess the pitch and play accordingly. Irresponsible shot from Babar and then wasting review also when it was dead plumb. Not a great gesture as a leader.

 

[Asif321]

Why promote Sarfraz . You don’t trust Saud ? That’s pathetic

 

[Shariq7]

Is it fair to say that, more often than not, Babar is not going to either save matches for Pak or win them?

But, on the other hand, he is our best batter, so it stands to reason that he should give up his captaincy to focus on his batting.

 

[Suleiman]

Babar’s hundred upstaged in yet another game, and when the need of the hour is for him to perform in a crunch situation, he disappears. Again.

 

[sweep_shot]

That was an unnecessary shot from Babar.

 

[Ahmed216]

Why promote Sarfraz . You don’t trust Saud ? That’s pathetic

Left right combo

 

[MHN1293]

Just need to bat 60 more overs. All is not lost

 

[sindhiboy]

If the rookie teenager rehan could get a 5 fer, so can sodhi.

Don't know why most fans were so confident that it would be a draw

 

[jupiter2007]

Babar need to take break. He is playing non-stop cricket and obviously over worked.

 

[sweep_shot]

Left right combo

Sarfaraz is also a very good player of spinner. So, not a bad idea.

 

[Justcrazy]

Problem with Pakistan is that they are still trailing by 70 runs , that is quiet a handful score , Kiwis can get couple of more wickets by then.

 

[MenInG]

Checked with PCB and Saud is fine so mgmt decision to promote Sarf.

 

[MHN1293]

Is it fair to say that, more often than not, Babar is not going to either save matches for Pak or win them?

But, on the other hand, he is our best batter, so it stands to reason that he should give up his captaincy to focus on his batting.

The management has alr shown full support for babars captaincy. It's up to him to realize what he's best at and focus on that entirely i.e batting

 

[Justcrazy]

Sodhi is bowling beautifully here , he will not be easy to negotiate.

 

[sweep_shot]

Problem with Pakistan is that they are still trailing by 70 runs , that is quiet a handful score , Kiwis can get couple of more wickets by then.

Pakistan should take it session by session. They pretty much have to survive 2-2.5 sessions.

 

[boomboomcheema]

KW and Sodhi could have batted for another 40 overs without getting dismissed but they eventually gave it away to go for big shots and declaration. Wickets looked impossible to fall but suddenly wickets are falling in Pakistans innings as if it's a rank turner.

 

[leatherface58]

Good guy Pakistan doing its best to ensure tests last 5 days resulting in increased revenue unlike the evil Australians.

 

[Sidilicious]

Is it fair to say that, more often than not, Babar is not going to either save matches for Pak or win them?

But, on the other hand, he is our best batter, so it stands to reason that he should give up his captaincy to focus on his batting.

Disagree. In the last 4 tests, there was nothing in the pitch or the spinners, that he could not draw 1-2 of them. A top class batsmen, even with poor bowlers and a very average support crew (Shakeel, Imam and Salman have actually been a decent support crew) should be able to draw a test or 2 on such pattas.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

What happened to Saud ?

Probably Left-Right combination.

 

[sweep_shot]

Trailing by 63 runs now.

 

[Savak]

Tbh half the wickets have been from stupid shots and mistakes on the batsmens ends

NZ bowlers, fielders and captains have combined to create that pressure which resulted in those poor shots. They did not happen on their own. They are not clueless incompetents like Babar where they stand on the field with a resigned baby language on their faces and expect things to just happen on their own without putting in the effort to make things happen.

 

[Justcrazy]

Babar , too be honest is not a captain material , he should never have been made captain. It was a wrong decision.

 

[Savak]

Babar , too be honest is not a captain material , he should never have been made captain. It was a wrong decision.

Thanks Imran Khan, Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan for that. It appears that Imran Khan's ideas have been disastrous for our cricket in the long run.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Sarfraz seems to be in very good nick.

 

[ArabKnight]

It’s time for the Real Captain (Sarfraz Ahmed) to save the match!

 

[SamNJ]

Imam is the key here. Needs to stop coming down the track so often.

 

[Savak]

Disagree. In the last 4 tests, there was nothing in the pitch or the spinners, that he could not draw 1-2 of them. A top class batsmen, even with poor bowlers and a very average support crew (Shakeel, Imam and Salman have actually been a decent support crew) should be able to draw a test or 2 on such pattas.

Babar is not a top class batsman. He is just about decent for Pakistan's standards where he will score plenty of soft runs but will go missing when he is really expected to in a crisis situation

 

[sweep_shot]

Sodhi has never gotten a 5-fer in Test. This is his 18th Test.

 

[boomboomcheema]

When the going gets tough, even Imam has put up a better fight than Babar. Imam also did well during the 2nd Test against England while chasing the target..Babar is just a king of soft runs and first one to run away when the going gets tough.

 

[SamNJ]

Sarfraz seems to be in very good nick.

He needs to score. It is because of his poor work behind the stumps that Pakistan is in such big trouble.

 

[Desi Don]

Sarfaraz will score some runs like 70

 

[sweep_shot]

When the going gets tough, even Imam has put up a better fight than Babar. Imam also did well during the 2nd Test against England while chasing the target..Babar is just a king of big soft runs and first one to run away when the going gets tough.

Babar should lose captaincy. But, who should replace him? I think Imam or Shaheen should be the captain.

 

[imshally81]

Back to back boundaries by Sarfaraz

 

[MHN1293]

Babar should lose captaincy. But, who should replace him? I think Imam or Shaheen should be the captain.

Shaheen can be a shout. Imam asw has cemented his position in the team but does he have any prior captaincy experience?

 

[ArabKnight]

Babar should lose captaincy. But, who should replace him? I think Imam or Shaheen should be the captain.

Sarfraz Ahmed in ODIs and Tests.

Imad Wasim in T20s.

 

[Asif321]

Sarfraz need to stay there till Pakistan reaxh lead of 50 Atleast

 

[MHN1293]

Good decision to promote sarfraz. Will quickly chip down the lead