JUST like the first Test of the series Pakistan’s batting crumbled into submission once again, failing to stand up to the need of the time, to hand the series over to New Zealand.

If only Pakistan had showed the kind of professionalism displayed by the Kiwis and their batsmen on the fourth day of this Test, they would have been served well.

Kane Williamson, having defied Pakistan on the penultimate day to score a hundred and share a partnership with Henry Nicholls, however brought Pakistan to their knees from where it was a tough going for Sarfraz Ahmed and his men all the way till their innings finally was wrapped up by the visiting bowlers.

Williamson, who as a gutsy and skilful batsman of the modern era, was a delight to watch not only while batting but also while he was captaining his side on the field; excelling in whatever he did.

The victory by Williamson’s men — their first in almost fifty years in an away series against Pakistan — surely must have come up for them as a cherished dream but not without a taste of defeat too in the second Test in which Pakistan did look like a team which could keep the momentum going.

But they couldn’t for the fact that they have this fallibility of buckling under pressure and which, in the upcoming tour of South Africa, is a worrying sign.

On a pitch that produced heaps of runs on the fourth day and also on the morning of the final day in which New Zealand plundered the Pakistan attack to the tune of 80 runs before declaring for a final fling, Pakistan batsmen panicked and perished.

Strangely, it was the two inexperienced Kiwi spinners William Somerville and Ajaz Patel who demolished Pakistan’s resistance.

In Pakistan’s favour it could only be said that having played most of their cricket away from home throughout several years with success, they may have entered a twilight zone.

But that really shouldn’t be the excuse for their decline in form but in fact it was their inability to stand in the face of a much needed challenge where they were found wanting.

Pakistan now need to regroup for the South African challenge. The series against New Zealand was no doubt a severe challenge.

Having beaten the Australians earlier, there were expectations of a similar result but the Kiwis, strong as they are in their ability to play themselves back in the game, turned out to be a better side all round.

One bright light however was the way spinner Yasir Shah bowled in the series to bag 29 wickets in three Tests, showing the quality and skills that one expects from an artist of a wrist spinner that he has proved to be.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2018