Sports News | Sodhi Raises NZ Hopes in 1st Test Ahead of Final Session
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Legspinner Ish Sodhi took 5-66 to raise New Zealand's hopes of victory in the first test as Pakistan went to tea on the fifth and final day at 249-7 in its second innings with a lead of 75 runs.
Karachi, Dec 30 (AP) Legspinner Ish Sodhi took 5-66 to raise New Zealand's hopes of victory in the first test as Pakistan went to tea on the fifth and final day at 249-7 in its second innings with a lead of 75 runs.
Sodhi sliced through Pakistan's middle-order after lunch to raise his first test five-for and left the home team with only three second-innings wickets in hand as New Zealand's first test in Pakistan in 20 years heads to an exciting finish.
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Saud Shakeel, who came in at No. 7 instead of his usual No. 5 position, was unbeaten on 23 with tailender Mohammad Wasim not out on 20.
New Zealand exhausted all its three referrals when it went for an unsuccessful appeal for a catch against Shakeel after Sodhi bowled with the second new ball. TV replays suggested the ball had missed the edge of the bat.
Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (96) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (53) wiped out a huge first-innings deficit of 174 with an aggressive 85-run stand before both fell to Sodhi after lunch in quick succession.
First innings century-maker Agha Salman was also undone by Sodhi's straight delivery that knocked back the stumps as Pakistan capitulated to Sodhi, recalled for the series after four years.
The collapse started a ball after Sarfaraz followed his first innings 86 with another fifty but played a reckless cut off a wayward delivery that caught the edge to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Imam looked nervous in his 90s as he needlessly came out of his crease to reach his 100 with a big hit and got stumped. Imam, who scored three test centuries in Pakistan this year, threw away his bat in anger before the lefthander walked inside the dressing room.
Sodhi posed a strong challenge from the bowlers' footmarks once he claimed captain Babar Azam lbw with a sharp googly off his first delivery on the final day before Sarfaraz and Imam dug in and nudged Pakistan ahead by seven runs in an extended 2-1/2 hour first session.
Imam, resuming on 45, twice survived TV referrals against Sodhi while Sarfaraz was aggressive against spinners with his sweeps and reverse sweeps.
New Zealand spinners — Michael Bracewell and Sodhi — made early inroads to reduce Pakistan to 100-4 inside the first hour after Pakistan resumed on 77-2.
Bracewell struck early when he had nightwatchman Nauman Ali trapped leg before wicket in the day's third over off a full-pitched ball. Nauman couldn't add to his overnight 4 as the ball hit low on his front pad after missing the inside edge.
Babar, who made 161 in Pakistan's first innings score of 438, twice pulled Bracewell's short balls for boundaries on the onside before he repeated a similar shot against Sodhi's first ball of the day and was adjudged lbw.
Sodhi bowled a perfect googly which kept a bit low as Babar unsuccessfully went for a television referral and walked back with Pakistan still trailing by 77 runs.
The visitors had declared their first innings at 612-9 after Kane Williamson notched an unbeaten 200 — his first international score of more than 100 in almost two years. (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)