Having dominated the first two days play in the first Test against New Zealand, the Pakistan batsmen continue to remain on a roll, plundering the bowlers as they did against the Australians to once again declare their first innings close and that is for the fourth time in a row in this home series.

That indeed speaks a lot about the form in which our batsmen have suddenly come into and the pitches on which these matches are being played. Not at Dubai so far, but certainly here at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium the wicket has not been of much help to the bowlers.

Be it pace or spin the story has been much the same, heart-breaking and frustrating to say the least. The movement off the pitch has been marginal and spin not really pronounced or disturbing.

That the Australian batsmen succumbed to our spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah in the last series was indeed the result of their eternal weakness against spin bowling and also because of lack of skill of their batsmen on wickets of low bounce.

The Kiwis are no different. On the last two days they have struggled to get the batsmen out. Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Corey Anderson seldom looked like making a dent in Pakistan ranks and the spinners, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, though were able to get some turn but were not able to get the bite off the wicket which could prove penetrative.

I must say though that leg-spinner Shodi was unlucky on two occasions when Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain was spilled in the cover region by Jimmy Neesham. Unlike on the first day, the New Zealanders were rather untidy in the field which no doubt helped Pakistan take advantage.

Both Younis and Misbah batted without much fuss or fear as they headed once again for a century each, Misbah’s being third in a row and Younis’s fourth in last five innings.

Unfortunate though that the day was marred by injury to another century maker of the innings Ahmed Shehzad who after having missed a lifting delivery from Corey Anderson was hit on the side of his head and ended up in not only disturbing his stumps to get out but also was found to have a minor fracture of the cheek bone. His phenomenal contribution with the bat as an opener has indeed eased up the pressure.

I have a feeling though that Brendon McCullum and his men will not give up that easily against the Pakistan bowlers as did the Aussie on this wicket. Their technique I suppose is a shade different from them and the type of batsmen like Ross Taylor, McCullum, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Anderson may give Pakistan few anxious moments in the three days remaining.

The question of course is whether Pakistan bowlers would be able to achieve, what the Kiwis have failed to when bowling at Misbah’s men.

Published in Dawn, November 11th , 2014