Last Updated: January 06, 2023, 10:44 AM IST
Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023 Live Cricket Score: Pakistan will look to level the series when they’ll resume their chase of 319 on the final day of the second Test against New Zealand in Karachi. The hosts lost two wickets without scoring at the end of Thursday’s eventful fourth day after the Kiwis set up its bid for a series after declaring its second innings on 277-5 and using the last three overs of the day to bowl opener Abdullah Shafique and nightwatchman Mir Hamza.
Pakistan was 0-2 at stumps and has to beat its previous highest successful chase of 314 runs in 1994 when Australia was beaten by one wicket at the same National Stadium.
On a day when the umpires made misjudgements, New Zealand left no doubt when captain Tim Southee knocked back Shafique’s off stump off the second ball which kept a bit low and Ish Sodhi clean bowled Hamza for a pair in the match to leave Pakistan in deep trouble.
Tom Blundell (74) and Michael Bracewell (74 not out) firmed up New Zealand’s ambitions with a 127-run stand. Blundell holed out in the deep as New Zealand looked for quick runs and Southee made a late declaration.
New Zealand took a 41-run, first-innings lead after dismissing Pakistan for 408, then umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar took center stage after lunch. The visitors successfully overturned Wharf’s two leg before decisions in favour of leg spinner Abrar Ahmed and Dar erred when his caught behind ruling against Henry Nicholls (5) was overturned.
Pakistan didn’t go for an lbw referral after Tom Latham (62) hit his second successive half-century when Wharf ruled for the batter and video suggested the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Blundell also successfully overturned an lbw decision before he scored and was dropped by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed just before tea.
Sarfaraz also dropped Bracewell soon after he completed his half-century and missed a stumping of Daryl Mitchell just before the New Zealand declaration.
Latham and Kane Williamson’s (41) century stand pushed New Zealand ahead by 155 runs before Pakistan struck three times in the space of 14 runs.
Latham was brilliantly snapped up by Abrar, who plucked a low left-handed catch at square leg to break a threatening 114-run stand. Williamson followed when Abrar finally had him lbw after twice wasting two reviews against the former captain before lunch.
Hasan Ali, playing his first test since July, picked up his first wicket when Nicholls mistimed a pull shot and was caught at mid-off. Latham dominated the spinners with sweep shots and hit 11 boundaries. He survived a chance just before his 25th half-century when Babar Azam dropped a difficult catch at midwicket.
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