New Delhi:
Yasir Shah, the Pakistan legspinner, put up a magnificent display as he picked up his career-best haul of 8/41 against New Zealand in the second Test in Dubai on Monday. Yasir was on song and New Zealand were confounded by his variations as they lost nine wickets for 29 runs to be bowled out for a miserable 90, tailing Pakistan by 328 runs. The 32-year-old’s haul is the third-best by a Pakistan bowler in Tests, behind Abdul Qadir’s 9/56 against England in Lahore 1987 and Sarfraz Nawaz’s 9/86 against Australia in Melbourne 1979. Earlier, the hosts notched up 418/5 declared thanks to centuries from Haris Sohail (147) and Babar Azam (127*).
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New Zealand had made a solid reply with Jeet Raval and Tom Latham stringing a solid 50-run stand for the opening wicket. However, Yasir broke the opening stand when Raval attempted the reverse sweep but ended up dragging the delivery back onto the stumps. Latham was undone by extra bounce and he got an inside-edge to short leg as New Zealand wobbled.
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However, that was only the start of the nightmare for the Kiwis. Ross Taylor (0) and Henry Nicholls (0) were undone by legspinners and New Zealand did not help their cause with BJ Watling run-out. When Colin de Grandhomme was trapped LBW by Hasan Ali for 0, Pakistan were on course to bowl New Zealand out cheaply. Kane Williamson, the skipper, hung in but he ran out of partners as Yasir sliced through the lower order.
Neil Wagner and Ish Sodhi were caught on the crease and when Ajaz Patel and Trent Boult were sent packing, New Zealand was bowled out for their fourth-lowest total in Tests against Pakistan. Yasir’s 16th Test wicket haul also yielded 100 wickets in Tests in the UAE, which has been Pakistan’s home since 2010.
Sarfraz Ahmed’s side are aiming to level the series after suffering a narrow four-run loss in the Abu Dhabi Test.
