Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
The host broadcaster hardly made Ross Taylor's lot any better.
Next in, as New Zealand stared down the barrel of an innings defeat to Pakistan in the second test of their three-match series, the No.4 batsman was left in no doubt about the task that confronted him.
The Black Caps, bowled out for 90, in reply to Pakistan's first innings of 418-5 declared, weren't faring much better second time around. Legspinner Yasir Shah was the chief destroyer, taking a remarkable 8-41 in New Zealand's first turn at bat. By the time Taylor strode out at 66-2, Shah had snaffled both second-innings wickets as well.
Taylor was clean bowled for nought by Shah earlier in the day and had a prominent television graphic running through his brain as he took guard for a second time. Shah's record in the UAE is phenomenal, as Taylor learned via the monitor in the players' viewing area.
"Thirty-two matches and 15 five-fors is not a stat you want to be seeing when you're on a pair," Taylor joked after finishing day three 49 not out and New Zealand 131-2, still 197 runs short of making Pakistan bat again.
Having been knocked over by an absolute beauty in the first dig, Taylor resolved to be less crease-bound in the second. He used his feet and showed good intent in getting to his 49 in just 53 deliveries. With him at stumps was opener Tom Latham, who'd laboured hard for his 44.
"I just wanted to be positive and, first and foremost, get off the mark and just try and pick up length as quick as possible," said Taylor.
"He bowled a very good ball that was too good for me [in the first innings] and spun from straight and you've just got to make some slight adjustments and try and pick up the length as quick as possible."
Taylor and Latham have a huge job to do if New Zealand are to take the match into a fifth day and avoid going to the final test level at 1-1. The Black Caps have lost wickets in sizeable clusters so far in the series, putting the onus on batsmen who get set to really sell their scalps dearly.
"It's probably just starting. I think every batter, apart from Kane [Williamson] and the two openers [Latham and Jeet Raval] struggled at the start of their [first] innings," Taylor said.
"That's obviously a very important part and, as I said, a couple of us have been able to make the adjustment and hopefully the the others can keep the adjustments going and keep them out there as long as possible."
That won't be easy against Shah and the excellent supporting cast of Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali.
"Yasir Shah's a world-class player and bowls well in all conditions, but he bowls exceptionally well here in the UAE and we knew he was going to be someone that we needed to combat, along with some other good bowlers. Today was his day, I think he got 10, 11 wickets; that doesn't happen very often in test cricket and you've got to take your hat off to him."
Not just Shah, though, but Pakistani batsmen Babar Azam and Haris Sohail as well. The pair scored patient centuries and, according to Taylor. "showed" how New Zealand might yet save this game.
"We've got a long way to go if we're going to fight our way back but, if we can just get through a couple of sessions with the least amount of damage, we know it can be done. The way Babar and Sohail batted, they showed the way for us to bat long periods of time."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...or-sets-sights-on-leading-black-caps-recovery
Next in, as New Zealand stared down the barrel of an innings defeat to Pakistan in the second test of their three-match series, the No.4 batsman was left in no doubt about the task that confronted him.
The Black Caps, bowled out for 90, in reply to Pakistan's first innings of 418-5 declared, weren't faring much better second time around. Legspinner Yasir Shah was the chief destroyer, taking a remarkable 8-41 in New Zealand's first turn at bat. By the time Taylor strode out at 66-2, Shah had snaffled both second-innings wickets as well.
Taylor was clean bowled for nought by Shah earlier in the day and had a prominent television graphic running through his brain as he took guard for a second time. Shah's record in the UAE is phenomenal, as Taylor learned via the monitor in the players' viewing area.
"Thirty-two matches and 15 five-fors is not a stat you want to be seeing when you're on a pair," Taylor joked after finishing day three 49 not out and New Zealand 131-2, still 197 runs short of making Pakistan bat again.
Having been knocked over by an absolute beauty in the first dig, Taylor resolved to be less crease-bound in the second. He used his feet and showed good intent in getting to his 49 in just 53 deliveries. With him at stumps was opener Tom Latham, who'd laboured hard for his 44.
"I just wanted to be positive and, first and foremost, get off the mark and just try and pick up length as quick as possible," said Taylor.
"He bowled a very good ball that was too good for me [in the first innings] and spun from straight and you've just got to make some slight adjustments and try and pick up the length as quick as possible."
Taylor and Latham have a huge job to do if New Zealand are to take the match into a fifth day and avoid going to the final test level at 1-1. The Black Caps have lost wickets in sizeable clusters so far in the series, putting the onus on batsmen who get set to really sell their scalps dearly.
"It's probably just starting. I think every batter, apart from Kane [Williamson] and the two openers [Latham and Jeet Raval] struggled at the start of their [first] innings," Taylor said.
"That's obviously a very important part and, as I said, a couple of us have been able to make the adjustment and hopefully the the others can keep the adjustments going and keep them out there as long as possible."
That won't be easy against Shah and the excellent supporting cast of Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali.
"Yasir Shah's a world-class player and bowls well in all conditions, but he bowls exceptionally well here in the UAE and we knew he was going to be someone that we needed to combat, along with some other good bowlers. Today was his day, I think he got 10, 11 wickets; that doesn't happen very often in test cricket and you've got to take your hat off to him."
Not just Shah, though, but Pakistani batsmen Babar Azam and Haris Sohail as well. The pair scored patient centuries and, according to Taylor. "showed" how New Zealand might yet save this game.
"We've got a long way to go if we're going to fight our way back but, if we can just get through a couple of sessions with the least amount of damage, we know it can be done. The way Babar and Sohail batted, they showed the way for us to bat long periods of time."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...or-sets-sights-on-leading-black-caps-recovery
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