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

[MenInG]

Sarf struggling a bit after that dive

 

[Asif321]

Sarfraz takes unnecessary risky singles

 

[PakPremi]

mostly silly run calls.

Well Pakistanis are always generous in giving their wickets somehow, when oppositions are struggling to get them out.

 

[JibranAnsari]

for pakistani team an opener like hurraira who scores at a good rate is very essential. Imam too has recently scored at good click. sarfraz and babar partnership was a delight in the last innings. IMO hurraira needs to be tested on home soil , may be when there is a next series in pakistan.

 

[JibranAnsari]

brilliant delivery by sodhi

 

[JibranAnsari]

is saud shakeel ok?

 

[PakPremi]

Well played by Sarfraz

 

[Asif321]

Pace is easier to handle here

 

[JibranAnsari]

yesssss we cant lose by an innings now

 

[PakPremi]

is saud shakeel ok?

Yeshe is just a tactical decision to send Sarfraz ahead.

 

[Sidilicious]

Sarfaraz has finally done it and saved the game. Babar ought to learn form Sarfaraz.

 

[Asif321]

Pakistan in lead now .130-150 should be safe

 

[PakPremi]

Sarfaraz has finally done it and saved the game. Babar ought to learn form Sarfaraz.

Babar saved it too in first inning by scoring a brilliant161.

 

[ArabKnight]

Imam ul Haq is a very clumsy batter.

 

[Asif321]

Still Saud and agha to come . But these Atleast 50 more

 

[JibranAnsari]

Pakistan in lead now .130-150 should be safe

reverse swing + rough outside lefties off. Will be very hard to get there.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Sarfaraz has finally done it and saved the game. Babar ought to learn form Sarfaraz.

the game is still going on. a lot of time still left

 

[boomboomcheema]

Will get a maximum of 52 overs after Lunch in 3.30 hours of play. So as long as Pakistan survive 30-32 overs and score around 120-130 runs they will be safe.

 

[Asif321]

Sarfraz has to lead jummah prayers also

 

[Desi Don]

good comeback from Sarfaraz he really know to how to get runs in pressure situation

 

[SpiritOf1903]

What a complete waste of time this is.

Only ever a ball away from humiliation. I fancy a flight to Karachi to give these bozos a word.

I reckon my Chinaman, LFM, off spin or RMF would trouble these fools

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Sarfraz has to lead jummah prayers also

Great Tilawat tbf.

 

[Asif321]

Excellent by both

 

[RyanRyan10]

Imam keeps proving his worth. Shan Masood supporters have been silenced in style.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Now two sessions of 1.45 Hours remaining.

Only 50-52 overs remaining in the game. Pakistan only has to avoid a dramatic collapse in the post Lunch session.

 

[jnaveen1980]

You just have to play carefully from one end. Other end is flat as a pancake. Only Sodhi looks good. Now that ball is very old he is also ineffective. Heading towards a draw.

 

[Shariq7]

Sarfraz has to lead jummah prayers also

I thought that was Rizwan's role.

 

[jiduguravindra]

Sarfraz saves the day for Pakistan.. Excellent batting from him.

 

[Asif321]

I thought that was Rizwan's role.

Most of time it’s Sarfraz and if not him then yousuf rizwan or saqi takes over .

 

[boomboomcheema]

Don't forget the innings played by Imam, he has stuck at the crease since he came as an opener while 4 wickets including Softie Babar fell at the other end.

 

[Mamoon]

People who wanted Shan to be captain & said he was better than Imam have been egged in the face but they will never learn.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

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.

Imran got one part of the equation right: your best players should be the captain. The other half of the equation is: they should have captaincy traits like strategic and tactical qualities. That part he couldn't assess without watching a lot of cricket. To be fair: In Pakistan's test team, apart from Babar and Shaheen, no one has been assured of their place for a long time.

 

[Rafa]

Imam should be the next Captain , Babar is a flop brand of Cheap Runs.

 

[Sidilicious]

Babar saved it too in first inning by scoring a brilliant161.

Not really. Babar is your premier batsman. On such a patta and against bowlers such as Sodhi and Patel, he should not have let the situation come to this. Pakistan ought to have scored 600+ and this game should have been a boring draw instead of expecting Imam and Sarfraz to dig you out of a hole.

Great batsmen, those who are considered best in the world, would not have failed to draw at least one out of 3 tests against England.

 

[wrongun]

Don't forget the innings played by Imam, he has stuck at the crease since he came as an opener while 4 wickets including Softie Babar fell at the other end.

He's got 850 runs @55+ avg this calendar year with 3 tons. (might be 4 tons and avg 60 by the time this match is done)
And done almost the same in ODI cricket too.

That's a good year by any standard.

 

[emranabbas]

Imam will not get the support like babar or rizwan he's related to Inzi and in pakistan everyone has an agenda

 

[Mamoon]

He's got 850 runs @55+ avg this calendar year with 3 tons. (might be 4 tons and avg 60 by the time this match is done)
And done almost the same in ODI cricket too.

That's a good year by any standard.

Imam haters & Masood fans need to accept the fact that Imam is a very fine opener for Pakistani standards.

He has firmly established himself as the first-choice Test & ODI opener & rightly so. He is not going anywhere & will have a very long career for Pakistan.

The other position is up for grabs. Fakhar seems to be on his last legs, Masood is horrible & Abdullah seems like one of those who can fade away into obscurity after a bright start much like Yasir Hameed.

 

[ArabKnight]

Imam haters & Masood fans need to accept the fact that Imam is a very fine opener for Pakistani standards.

He has firmly established himself as the first-choice Test & ODI opener & rightly so. He is not going anywhere & will have a very long career for Pakistan.

The other position is up for grabs. Fakhar seems to be on his last legs, Masood is horrible & Abdullah seems like one of those who can fade away into obscurity after a bright start much like Yasir Hameed.

Sharjeel Khan is another option for Test and ODI opener. Sharjeel played many beautiful innings at the opening position. He will be a great opening partner for Imam ul Haq.

 

[imshally81]

50 for Sarfaraz... What a innings

 

[imshally81]

Now gone

 

[boomboomcheema]

Gone . That 50 means nothing now if Pakistan lose in the end . Needed to negotiate till Tea, why try to become a hero..

 

[boomboomcheema]

Now pressure back on Pakistan.

 

[imshally81]

Good innings comes to end...

 

[imshally81]

Where is saud Shakeel?

 

[Kianig89]

Pakistan still on the risky side 11/5 basically

 

[Kianig89]

If we lose this will be interesting to see Shahid Afridi the chief selector reaction

 

[SpiritOf1903]

All that padding up and he lurches for that.

 

[imshally81]

Still 56 overs remaining... Pakistan actually 16 - 5

 

[Nikhil_cric]

This is probably the worst pitch of the home season. Only 24 wickets have fallen and we are well into day 5.

 

[imshally81]

Salman off the mark with the boundary

 

[dildilpak]

This is probably the worst pitch of the home season. Only 24 wickets have fallen and we are well into day 5.

So unlike a typical Karachi day 5 pitch.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

good fighting innings by Sarf, although a pathetic shot to get out to.
If Salman Agha can see pak thru this will be a massive step in his development and confidence, one for the future.

 

[Robert]

Good resistance by Sarfaraz ends.

Into the lead at last - so every run counts double.

The light will start to fail soon?

 

[Rana]

A bit of a loose Test performance by Sarfaraz so far if I’m honest

Props for batting well considering Rizwan was dropped due to poor batting form

But I still feel Sarfaraz just didn’t have the time or mental preparation to transit from Domestic cricket playing conditions into Test match cricket.

-Very lethargic with his keeping
-Fitness lacking, hobbling after every dive
-completely unaware/not picking up faint edges behind the stumps

Also, I would put this down to a clear lack of intensity by himself because he is very much restrained in his attitude and natural aggression. The guy just needs to be himself if you actually want him to keep properly

 

[mastermind_quad]

It's going to be a draw

 

[boomboomcheema]

Pakistan has kept losing wickets at regular intervals that has allowed to keep NZ interested. Think they will do well for a few more overs and provide another opening to NZ. This will get tight till the end. Pakista will continue to give chances and provide openings to the opposition.

 

[SamNJ]

Superb innings from Imam. Not easy for left handers there.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Gone bunch of idiots losing 5th test at home

 

[SamNJ]

What a googly from Sodhi. Nutmegged Agha.

 

[boomboomcheema]

These useless Babar and Agha made merry in the first innings when NZ got bored and now everyone is failing under slightest pressure.

 

[PakPremi]

Not really. Babar is your premier batsman. On such a patta and against bowlers such as Sodhi and Patel, he should not have let the situation come to this. Pakistan ought to have scored 600+ and this game should have been a boring draw instead of expecting Imam and Sarfraz to dig you out of a hole.

Great batsmen, those who are considered best in the world, would not have failed to draw at least one out of 3 tests against England.

Its a team game for a reason Babar scored heavily in first inning . His poor captaincy and lack of quality bowling is at blame here not his batting.

 

[imshally81]

Clean bowled

 

[Rana]

Woah

Trouble here

 

[imshally81]

Still 52 overs remaining

 

[castortroy]

Here comes the famous pak collapse

 

[Kroll]

I turned on the tele and first thing I saw was ball hitting the stumps.

Well at least its not been a total collapse, lets see what Saud and Imam can do.

 

[castortroy]

Why do pak make every type of spinner a world beater in the 2nd innings

 

[ArabKnight]

Poor captaincy by Babar. Sending in Shakeel? A totally new player?

 

[shah_1]

Losing the test match for sure

Babar should be sacked at any cost. Accountability is a must

 

[BaankeJi]

Batting very difficult here guyz. Imam's hundred when he gets there is worth double hundred.

 

[Rana]

On more and they are in the tail

 

[shah_1]

A bit of a loose Test performance by Sarfaraz so far if I’m honest

Props for batting well considering Rizwan was dropped due to poor batting form

But I still feel Sarfaraz just didn’t have the time or mental preparation to transit from Domestic cricket playing conditions into Test match cricket.

-Very lethargic with his keeping
-Fitness lacking, hobbling after every dive
-completely unaware/not picking up faint edges behind the stumps

Also, I would put this down to a clear lack of intensity by himself because he is very much restrained in his attitude and natural aggression. The guy just needs to be himself if you actually want him to keep properly

He should play ahead of Shan as a batsman, let Rizwan keep

 

[ArabKnight]

A bit of a loose Test performance by Sarfaraz so far if I’m honest

Props for batting well considering Rizwan was dropped due to poor batting form

But I still feel Sarfaraz just didn’t have the time or mental preparation to transit from Domestic cricket playing conditions into Test match cricket.

-Very lethargic with his keeping
-Fitness lacking, hobbling after every dive
-completely unaware/not picking up faint edges behind the stumps

Also, I would put this down to a clear lack of intensity by himself because he is very much restrained in his attitude and natural aggression. The guy just needs to be himself if you actually want him to keep properly

Nothing was loose about this performance. It was a classic heroic innings.

 

[JibranAnsari]

keepers role is more than all rounder these days , he is expected to be a full time batsman and perfect behind stumps. At the age of 36 you can't expect any keeper to do both the jobs. Standing bent behind the stumps all day alert and then come back and bat well at this age is physically difficult when your reflexes are going down.
Lets see how he does behind the stumps in the next few matches ,my expectations are low.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Imam likely to perish after getting his Ton. But what an innings by KW, his Double Ton effort is equal to All the good innings Pakistani batsmen played in the Test.

 

[JibranAnsari]

leave a gap like between ball and bat that on day 5 against a spinner and you are bound to go back. poor technique.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Imam playing for what ? All these runs mean nothing now .

 

[Romali_rotti]

I can't believe Pakistan is making Ish Sodhi looking world class... This Pakistan is a pathetic team

 

[imshally81]

Imam gone too

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Imam