WITH a Test victory under their belt, both Pakistan and New Zealand have a point to prove in the decisive game of the series which obviously is likely to be a crunch contest for the hosts as well as the visitors.

A nerve-tickling four-run win for New Zealand at this venue in the first Test and an even greater triumph for the home team by an innings and 16 runs in Dubai is all set to make this encounter a highly exciting event.

The majority of contemporary Test matches are result-oriented may be perhaps for a lack of stay-at-the-wicket skills shown by batsmen, and this one may not be any different from what we have experienced here over the years.

Both the Kiwis and the Pakistanis have a balanced side in batting as well as bowling with the visitors having a slight edge when it comes to batting depth, and that could be the major factor in the end on the outcome of this game.

Yasir Shah, the wrist spinner with his match-winning display in the second Test, must be playing on the minds of the New Zealand batsmen who were pulverised into submission in the first innings of the second Test.

Kane Williamson has admitted that Yasir is one of the world’s best leg-spinners and Pakistan are lucky to have such a bowler.

Obviously Yasir’s performance once again on this ground would matter a lot if Pakistan are to win the series. I doubt Sarfraz Ahmed would let this opportunity slip to go all out in quest of an important series victory before embarking on the tough tour of South Africa.

For Pakistan this has been the busiest year in the field starting from the Ireland tour and a win here would be an icing on the cake for the boys before they get ready for the challenges ahead.

What really pleases me most is that the Pakistan have decided to offer a Test cap to the 19-year-old fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi who has recently shown a lot of promise and intelligence as an emerging talent not only in ODIs but also here in a four-day game against England Lions when he took seven wickets in the match which induced the selectors to pick him in the Test squad.

Tall and strong, Shaheen has an economical run-up who being a left-arm bowler prefers to bowl over the wicket with a nagging line.

What really impresses me most is that he gives us the impression of a thinking bowler who looks bright not only in changing pace but also in bowling yorkers — and in between slower deliveries — which is what a good pacer needs to have in order to beat the defences of a Test batsman.

In the ODIs against New Zealand, Shaheen has shown his talent in abundance and one would not be surprised to watch him bowl effectively in this crucial Test for Pakistan.

In Abu Dhabi, Pakistan hold a noticeable record of six Test wins out of twelve — along with two losses — and no doubt would be looking up to their next success at this venue.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2018