Watch: Tim Southee scuttles ball low, takes second-ball wicket after brave declaration v Pakistan
Watch: Tim Southee cleaned up Abdullah Shafique for a second-ball duck towards the end of day four to hand New Zealand the advantage after a brave declaration.
Southee, who had picked up just one wicket in the first innings, got his team off to the perfect start defending 319 to win. The first ball of the over was slightly wide of off stump and allowed Shafique to leave it alone. The second ball, though, honed in on off stump. It nipped into the batter and kept low, breezing past Shafique’s defences before smashing into off stump. The Pakistan opening batter could not believe his luck and looked visibly disappointed as he departed.
Shafique’s dismissal allowed New Zealand to turn the screw before the close of play. Ish Sodhi picked up the wicket of Mir Hamza in the final over to ensure that the Kiwis ended the day in a commanding position.
Earlier in the session, they had declared their innings at 277-5, setting Pakistan a fourth-innings target of 319. Michael Bracewell and Tom Blundell top-scored for the visitors with 74 apiece. A riproaring final day is in store, with Pakistan, despite losing two wickets on day four, still retaining hopes of chasing down this total, especially with Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Khan and Saud Shakeel in decent form.
