Sports News | Latham Hits Century, New Zealand Reaches 245-2 in 1st Test

Karachi, Dec 28 (AP) Tom Latham hit a gritty 13th test century as New Zealand progressed to 245-2 and trailed viral-infected Pakistan by 193 runs on the third day of the first test on Wednesday.

Captain Babar Azam was among at least three Pakistan players who were hit by a viral flu and didn't take the field at the start of play.

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Shan Masood returned to the field after the first over, but Babar and Agha Salman stayed in the dressing room throughout the first session.

There was confusion when substitute fielder Mohammad Rizwan led the team on the field for a while. However, Pakistan team management named wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed as the designated stand-in captain and he took charge on the field because according to law of the game, substitute fielders can't captain a side.

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Latham made 113 off 191 balls with 10 fours before top-edging a reverse sweep against spinner Abrar Ahmed (1-76) late in the first session as Pakistan spinners occasionally troubled the batters from the rough.

Latham had dominated Pakistan spinners and raised his 100 off 161 balls with a sweep against Abrar for a single before he went for an extravagant reverse sweep and was dismissed.

Resuming on 165-0, Latham and Devon Conway stretched their opening stand to record-breaking 183 before left-arm spinner Nauman Ali (1-73) struck in his first over.

Conway (92) had added 10 to his overnight 82 but was out lbw off a delivery which spun sharply from the rough and Sarfaraz successfully overturned umpire Aleem Dar's not out decision through television referral. Conway, who faced 176 balls, missed out on his century and hit 14 fours.

The strong opening stand bettered New Zealand's previous first-wicket record against Pakistan when Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell shared a 181-run partnership at Hamilton in 2001.

Former test captain Kane Williamson was unbeaten on a nervy 19 off 60 balls and Henry Nicholls was not out on 10 at lunch.

Williamson survived two close calls that included a missed stumping by Sarfaraz down the legside. Sarfaraz also went for an unsuccessful lbw TV referral against Nicholls in Nauman's last over before lunch as the ball struck the lefthander's front pad outside the off stump.

Pakistan had scored 438 in its first innings with both Babar and Salman notching hundreds and Sarfaraz made 86 in his comeback to test cricket after almost four years.

New Zealand is on its first test tour to Pakistan since 2002 and Karachi will also host the second test next week after Multan was ruled out because of weather concerns. The two-test series will be followed by three ODIs, also in Karachi. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)