New Zealand lose eight wickets in pursuit of 480
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ABU DHABI: New Zealand openers Brendon McCullum and Tom Latham resorted to an aggressive start in their second innings but soon were countered by Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar on the fourth day of the first Test match being played in Abu Dhabi.
In chase of mammoth 480 set by Pakistan, the New Zealand batting order failed miserably, the tourists losing eight wickets for just 138 runs.
New Zealand, set a daunting target to win, were facing defeat as they finished the fourth day stumbling on 174-8.
At the crease were New Zealand's ninth wicket pair of Mark Craig (27) and Ish Sodhi (27) as they defied Pakistan in a 36-run stand.
New Zealand still need 306 runs while Pakistan need two wickets.
Pakistan declared their second innings at 175-2 with opener Mohammad Hafeez hitting an unbeaten 101 for his sixth Test hundred.
Brendon McCullum (39), Corey Anderson (23) and Kane Williamson (23) were the other run-getters. Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah and Rahat Ali took two wickets apiece.
Read: Centurion Ahmed Shehzad fractures skull in first Test
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez hit a century to stretch Pakistan's lead to 479 runs. Pakistan, which didn't enforce the follow-on and took a 304-run first-innings lead, was aiming for quick runs and Hafeez made the most of it, smashing 12 boundaries and 2 sixers in his unbeaten 101 off 130 balls.
This was Hafeez's first Test century in the past two years.
Earlier before lunch, Younis Khan successfully used the DRS to overturn an LBW decision against him off legspinner Ish Sodhi's last ball before lunch. He was was adjudged LBW off a Ish Sodhi delivery after lunch.
Sodhi took the inning's only other wicket when he got an LBW decision against makeshift opener Azhar Ali (23), who was standing in for Ahmed Shezad.
Shezad fractured his skull in the first innings and was ruled out of the remainder of the three-test series. Hafeez, who made 96 in Pakistan's first innings of 566-3 declared, batted positively after Pakistan resumed at the overnight 15-0.
He welcomed Sodhi with successive boundaries through the covers before raising his half century off 89 balls by pulling the legspinner to midwicket for his eighth four.
Hafeez seemed to be troubled by cramps soon after completing his half century and received on-field treatment from the team physiotherapist.
He recovered to hoist fast bowler Tim Southee over long-on for a six and then pulled another short ball from Sodhi to the midwicket fence.
