New Zealand Pakistan Boxing Day Test Played at Maunt Maunganu from December 26-30

Brief Scorecard at Stumps of Day Two 
New Zealand 1st Innings 431 All Out in 155 Overs (Kane Williamson 129, BJ Watlling 73, Ross Taylor 70, Henry Nichols 56. Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/109, Yasir Shah 3/113). Pakistan 1st Innings 30/1 in 20 Overs (Abid Ali 19*)

Kiwi batsmen led by indomitable Williamson wretched control of the Boxing day test against Pakistan by stumps of day two. Disciplined batting against quality bowling led Kiwi scoring 431 all out in 155 overs. Pakistan batting cautiously reached 30/1 by stumps still 401 runs in arrears. Still a lot is to be played in the test yet. Pakistan will really have to bowl exceedingly well to stay in the match as they have already lost Shan Masud. Shaheen Afridi (4/109) and Yasir Shah (3/113) were the peak of the Pakistani bowlers. It is not that Pakistan bowled poorly. But Kiwis batted superbly all the way playing the Pakistan bowling to their merit.

New Zealand started day two at 222/3 with Williamson unbeaten on 94 and Nicholson at 42. Pakistani pacers Afridi and Abbas kept probing bowling at the right channel. Nicholson was first to go given out caught in the slip by Shan Masood of the bowling of Nasim Shah scoring 56. He could have got reprieve had he requested for DRS as replay showed it brushed his elbow. Williamson completed yet another brilliant century (129) and fell to a brilliant catch by Haris Sohail of the bowling of Yasir Shah. B Watlling took charge from there on and with the tail added useful runs taking New Zealand score to 431. Watling was undone by Afridi after scoring 73. Other teams can take lesson from the discipline and application of New Zealand batting. Pakistan off course dropped few catches and some edges did not reach the hands.

Pakistan struggled to keep Kiwi bowlers at bay. Still, they lost Shan Masood and in 20 overs reached 30 /1. Pakistan must try and replicate the way New Zealand batted to stay in the match. We must say Kiwis are in reasonable control.

BDST: 1215 HRS, DEC 28, 2020
AP