At Karachi National Stadium: Pakistan 438 and 77-2 (Imam-ul-Haq 45 not out) versus New Zealand 612-9 declared (Kane Williamson 200 not out, Tom Latham 113, Devon Conway 92, Ish Sodhi 65, Tom Blundell 47, Daryl Mitchell 42; Abrar Ahmed 5-205, Nauman Ali 3-185).
Kane Williamson’s fifth test double century has given New Zealand a sniff at a rare test win in Pakistan.
Williamson made an unbeaten 200 from 395 balls before his recent replacement as Black Caps captain, Tim Southee, declared the side’s first innings completed at 612-9 on Thursday evening (NZ time).
That gave the tourists a lead of 174 on the first innings and by stumps on the penultimate day of the first test of the two-match series, that advantage had been reduced to 97 with Pakistan having eight second-innings wickets up their sleeve.
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After struggling initially and riding his luck on day three, the 32-year-old was a composed and dominant figure the next day as he steered New Zealand into a position where defeat seemed virtually impossible and hopes of victory were at the forefront of the mind of the touring side.
Williamson and Ish Sodhi put on 160 for the seventh wicket, after New Zealand resumed their first innings at 440-6, with Williamson unbeaten on 105 and Sodhi on one.
In his first test appearance in four years, legspinner Sodhi registered his highest test score, making an invaluable 65 from 180 balls after being dropped down the legside by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed off spinner Nauman Ali when on 22.
It was just the 11th time New Zealand had tallied more than 600 runs in a test innings in their history, with Williamson contributing double tons in three of those occasions.
SKY SPORT
Tom Latham and Kane Williamson hit centuries for NZ on day three of the first test against Pakistan.
Kane Williamson’s highest test scores:
251 v West Indies, Hamilton 2020
242 not out v Sri Lanka, Wellington 2015
238 v Pakistan, Christchurch 2021
200 no v Bangladesh, Hamilton 2019
200 no v Pakistan, Karachi 2022
Williamson’s bat looked exceptionally broad when playing straight, and while sweeping proved more problematic on a slow wicket, he did reverse sweep effectively to balls well outside a leg stump line through cover as he sought to spoil Pakistan’s defensive tactics.
He was given out lbw to Nauman Ali when on 116, but rightly got another DRS reprieve when replays showed the delivery pitched outside leg. The former test skipper was also given out lbw the previous day when on 13 before the review system corrected the decision.
His 25th test century was his first test ton away from home in just over four years, and he has now made 847 runs – including a double ton, three centuries and two 50s – away from New Zealand against Pakistan in just 12 innings, averaging 84.70.
Fareed Khan/AP
Ish Sodhi made his highest test score in New Zealand’s first innings against Pakistan in Karachi.
There were nine tests for Williamson in between his previous away century and the first-test double hundred at the Karachi National Stadium.
During that time, he feasted at home with five tons – three of them double-centuries – and still managed to deliver the highest batting average in tests over the last five years, at more than 61 from 42 innings. That put him ahead of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (59.54), Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne (59.05) and Steve Smith (57.22), with team-mate Devon Conway filling out the top five (53.15).
Pakistan’s openers batted with some freedom in the final session but Abdullah Shafique (17) self-destructed after he and Imam-ul-Haq had put on 47.
Big moment
Sodhi looked threatening with the ball from the outset of Pakistan’s second dig.
In his sixth over of the evening, he trapped Shan Masood lbw to massively lift the spirits of the Black Caps and improve their chances of taking 10 second-innings scalps to set up a win.
Fareed Khan/AP
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson plays a reverse sweep shot during the fourth day of the first test.
Best with the bat
It’s overstating it to say Williamson batted like a man with the weight lifted from his shoulders after stepping away from the captaincy.
Rather, he batted like he always has – with a steely sense of control, using his vast array of skills, combined with unlimited reserves of concentration. While Southee is now pulling the strings, Williamson was clearly the one setting the scenario for which New Zealand could pursue a rare test win in Pakistan.
Best with the ball
Ostensibly a legspinner, Abrar Ahmed conceded more runs in NZ’s innings than Kane Williamson made, but did end with a five-wicket bag.
Just five innings into his test career, the bespectacled 24-year-old has already snared 22 wickets at an average of 30.31.
Big picture
If one of the three spinners in the Black Caps attack can end Pakistan’s second dig with five wickets, it would likely mean victory for the visitors.
While the wicket still isn’t posing huge headaches to batters with compact defensive games, the slow bowlers were getting some decent turn out of the rough in the final session, particularly Sodhi into the left-handers.
New Zealand highest test innings totals:
715-6 declared v Bangladesh, Hamilton 2019
690 v Pakistan, Sharjah 2014
680-8d v India, Wellington 2014
671-4 v Sri Lanka, Wellington 1991
659-6d v Pakistan, Christchurch 2021
630-6d v India, Mohali 2003
624 v Australia, Perth 2015
619-9d v India, Napier 2009
615-9d v England, Mount Maunganui 2019
612-9d v Pakistan, Karachi 2019
609-9d v West Indies, Dunedin 2013
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