The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
So that is all that we have for you after five full days of play at the National Stadium in Karachi, but join us again for the second Test match at the very same venue on 2 January! The pitch, the Pakistan team and the approach of both sides will continue to remain in focus for the next game and we really cannot wait for it to commence! For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto, saying good bye. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Babar Azam (Pakistan captain): (On the surprise declaration) We wanted a result here in our favour, so we took the chance, but light faded and did not help anyone really. (On whether there were issues with the fifth bowler) Our fifth bowler is Salman, but he was a bit under the weather in this game, hence he could not bowl, but he should be fine for the next match I feel. (On the batting effort after Imam's dismissal today) Saud and Wasim batted really well, especially Wasim who played positive cricket and scored some key runs. Saud again, was impressive with his matured batting.
Tim Southee (New Zealand captain): (When asked where the game slipped away from winning position) I wouldn't say, it slipped away, the guys created chances and we were in the game for most part in the second innings, for us to lose the toss and had we won this, would've been pleasing. (On Pakistan's tail wagging) Pakistan tail played nicely, little bit of assistance if you get it in the right areas, handy knocks from Pakistan and took more time for us to finish things off. (On Ish Sodhi's all round performance) Ish hasn't played test cricket in a long time, but he's contribute with the bat as well and got us to an outstanding position in the game. Kane is class, we all know, it was great to watch. (On his captaincy) Just similar to what we do, with Kane and Tom as well out there, they make things easy and it's nice to get out there.
Kane Williamson is the Player of the Match for his splendid double hundred! Here's what he has to say: Was a fantastic opening partnership which set the tone, I had to come in and just get the feel for the pace of the surface, just wanted to be part of as many partnerships as possible, it got us the strong first innings total. Abrar is well equipped, knows the conditions very well, we just needed to stick to the plan and we saw that the surface deteriorate later on, very much a chance of a result, good batting surface but the rough came in later, proved to be difficult but Imam played well to take their team out of the trouble. Still part of number of chats with Tim, I thought he did an outstanding job in his first test as captain, was an outstanding game of cricket, little bit old school but a great game of cricket, pretty quick turnaround, will be back in a couple of days for the next game. I don't think too much about achievements, nice to spend some time out there in the middle, make a contribution like that, trying to improve, I thought the batting effort was fantastic, guys adjusted well with the ball, nice team performance.
Match Drawn
Pakistan - 438 and 311/8 declared | New Zealand - 612/9 declared and 61/1
Babar Azam - 161 (280) and 14 (21) || Abrar Ahmed - 5/205 and 1/23 Kane Williamson - 200* (395) || Ish Sodhi - 2/87 and 6/86
This final day's play was supposed to be a cracking one, and it indeed turned out to be so, with bad light having to stop play to end the match!
But New Zealand were the better side on the whole right through this Test match. Had Ajaz Patel got hold of that throw in the final session at the non-striker's end or had Michael Bracewell got both hands to that skier at square-leg, also in the final session today, it could have been a win for the visitors under Tim Southee, for the first time in whites!
Saud Shakeel needs to be applauded once again for another impressive and important half-century, and with support from Mohammad Wasim and Mir Hamza with the bat, were able to stretch the Pakistan lead to 137.
But the surprise came when the Pakistan skipper declared at that point to leave the Blackcaps 138 runs to get in 15 overs! It was a bold move, but fraught with danger.
After Michael Bracewell went early, the two regular openers - Devon Conway and Tom Latham - gave the hosts a real scare by playing some scintillating shots to find the boundaries. Spin, by way of Abrar Ahmed and Agha Salman, were unable to control the game with the left-hand batters taking full advantage of slow bowling.
Babar then was forced to bring the pacers on, but Mohammad Wasim was not spared in his first over. He was taken for 13 runs and things were getting more tense for the home crowd.
It was Mir Hamza's follow-up over that was cleverly bowled, with nice changes of pace, and the batters could not quite get him away. By then the light started fading, the artificial lights were taking effect almost fully and midway through Wasim's next over, the umpires checked the light, were unhappy with it, asked Babar if he would bowl with spin, but the Pakistani captain did not respond in the affirmative and the duo of Aleem Dar and Alex Wharf had no choice but to call it off, thus, ending the match in a draw.
The light is being checked now, and the umpires have no choice but to call the day's play off with the light being insufficient for play! With that, the Test match too comes to an end! But thins was as intriguing towards the end as it could get!
7.3 Mohammad Wasim to Devon Conway, back of a length delivery but bowled on the eight stump line probably, Conway can't reach for it and let's it go to the keeper.
7.2 Mohammad Wasim to Tom Latham, short on the fourth stump, Latham on the backfoot swipes it hard, straight to deep mid-wicket for only a single.
7.1 Mohammad Wasim to Devon Conway, length delivery, angled into Conway on the stumps, he's lifted it down to long-on but falls well short of the fielder, takes a single.
This is good bowling from Hamza! Some with pace on them and some with pace off. New Zealand are finding it just that more difficult to line him up both through and across the line. The umpires are okay with the light at the moment.
7
overs
59/1score
1
1
1
1
0
0
runs
Devon Conway
17(14)
Tom Latham*
34(23)
Mir Hamza
0/4
6.6 Mir Hamza to Tom Latham, short delivery, well outside the off-stump as Latham has a big swipe across the line again and misses, another dot.
6.5 Mir Hamza to Tom Latham, another brilliant change of pace, length delivery on the wide of off-stump, Latham too early to hoick across the line and completely misses.
6.4 Mir Hamza to Devon Conway, OH! Back of a length on the fourth stump, Conway has a ugly swipe across the line, gets the inside edge on to the thigh and pick up another single.
A mid-wicket and a cover are in position.
6.3 Mir Hamza to Tom Latham, change of pace, Latham skips down the track, went with the shot too early, chips it down to long-off, doesn't carry to the fielder and they take another single.
6.2 Mir Hamza to Devon Conway, OH! Nearly a chop on. Back of a length on the fourth stump, Conway shapes up to cut but bottom edge's it near the stumps and takes a sharp single.
6.1 Mir Hamza to Tom Latham, back of a length, rising into Latham on the fourth stump, gets forward and opens the blade to ride the bounce to third-man for a single.
Mir Hamza, left-arm fast medium, is into the attack.
That pick up shot from Tom Latham was simply out of this world! New Zealand are well on course right now to get to the target. Pakistan need more overs of seam now. But with the light fading, how long can seam continue?
Video
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K Williamson
B Azam
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Devon Conway
Mir Hamza
National Stadium, Karachi
