ABU DHABI: Pakistan produced another ruthless performance to move to the brink of victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

A stubborn ninth-wicket stand of 36 in 14.5 overs between Mark Craig (27) and Ish Sodhi (27) delayed Pakistan’s victory on the fourth day at Sheikh Zayed Stadium but New Zealand were struggling on 174-8 after being set a daunting target of 408.

Pakistan need just two wickets on the final day for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series while New Zealand still need 306 for an unlikely win on the fifth and final day.

Spinners Zulfiqar Babar (2-30) and Yasir Shah (2-49) and seamer Rahat Ali (2-38) destroyed the New Zealand batting.

Earlier Mohammad Hafeez hit an unbeaten 101 to help Pakistan declare their second innings on 175-2 before the bowlers took over and skittled the Kiwi batsmen.

It was a weak batting display by New Zealand who promised a lot before the Test but only Brendon McCullum (39), Corey Anderson (23) and Kane Williamson (23) offered little resistance.

Sodhi said it was disappointing to bat like New Zealand did.

“We are disappointed with the way things have turned out. We cannot win from this position, but we will surely try and make things difficult for them tomorrow,” he said.

McCullum and Tom Latham (20) gave New Zealand a confident start of 57 runs before Zulfiqar had first-innings centurion Latham top-edging a sweep to Yasir who took a brilliant diving catch.

Four runs later Yasir trapped McCullum with googly that kept low.

Ross Taylor’s disappointing return to international cricket continued when he was also out plumb lbw off Yasir for eight as New Zealand lost three wickets in the space of 12 runs.

Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson took the total to 111-3 before another collapse saw three wickets lost for a run. Williamson was stumped on 23 when he misread Hafeez’s straight delivery, and Rahat took the wickets of James Neesham and B.J. Watling for ducks off successive deliveries.

Anderson, out for 23, surprisingly didn’t go for a video review which could have saved him, as he was struck on the back foot while offering no shot to Imran’s delivery, and umpire Rod Tucker adjudged him lbw. Video replays clearly showed the ball pitched outside leg stump.

Hafeez reached his sixth Test hundred, with a couple off McCullum. He hit two sixes and 12 boundaries during his 130-ball knock. It was Hafeez’s first century since his 196 against Sri Lanka in July 2012.

The first session saw Younis and Hafeez batting solidly.

Younis, who hit a brilliant 100 not out in the first innings, survived a leg-before referral, but he fell soon after lunch to Sodhi, who finished with 2-66.

Hafeez opened up after a cautious start, hitting boundaries off paceman Trent Boult and then he hit two off Sodhi to complete his fifty and follow up on his 96 in Pakistan’s first innings of 566-3 declared.

Hafeez said he was satisfied with his hundred. “It’s pleasing to hit a century and more so because it has come after a gap, but I am sure it will help lift my confidence in this format.”

Pakistan, resuming at 15-0, had looked for quick runs but were checked by disciplined New Zealand bowling.

Sodhi removed Azhar Ali for 23 to give his team the early breakthrough.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 566-3 declared (Ahmed Shehzad 176, Misbah-ul-Haq 102 not out, Younis Khan 100 not out, Mohammad Hafeez 96, Azhar Ali 87; C.J. Anderson 2-68).

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings) 262 (T.W.M. Latham 103, C.J. Anderson 48; Rahat Ali 4-22, Zulfiqar Babar 3-79).

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight 15-0):

Mohammad Hafeez not out 101
Azhar Ali lbw b Sodhi 23
Younis Khan lbw b Sodhi 28
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 13

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-2, W-2) 10

TOTAL (for two wkts decl, 39.2 overs) 175

FALL OF WKTS: 1-69, 2-139.

BOWLING: Boult 7-2-25-0 (2w); Southee 9-0-33-0; Sodhi 13-1-66-2; Anderson 5-1-11-0; Craig 5-0-29-0; McCullum 0.2-0- 3-0.

NEW ZEALAND (2nd Innings):

T.W.M. Latham c Yasir b Zulfiqar 20
B.B. McCullum b Yasir 39
K.S. Williamson st Sarfraz b Hafeez 23
L.R.P.L. Taylor lbw b Yasir 8
C.J. Anderson lbw b Imran 23
J.D.S. Neesham c Sarfraz b Rahat 0
B.J. Watling b Rahat 0
M.D. Craig not out 27
T.G. Southee b Zulfiqar 5
I. S. Sodhi not out 27

EXTRAS (LB-2) 2

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 54 overs) 174

FALL OF WKTS: 1-57, 2-61, 3-69, 4-111, 5-112, 6-112, 7-121, 8-138.

BOWLING (to-date): Rahat Ali 9-1-38-2; Imran Khan 7-0-34-1; Zulfiqar Babar 18-6-30-2; Yasir Shah 13-1-49-2; Mohammad Hafeez 7-0-21-1.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2014