CARACHI: Saud Shakeel recorded its first Test century, but Pakistan’s lower-order collapse left the second Test against New Zealand evenly balanced at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.
The hosts, responding to New Zealand’s first 449 innings, ended day three 407-9 after losing four quick wickets in the final session.
Saud, who forged a 150-race partnership with Ahmed Sarfaraz for the fifth wicket, was unbeaten on 124, which included 17 fours.
Abrar Ahmed, who denied Ich Sodhi a hat-trick, had not yet opened his account at the other end.
Saud entered the game with five half-centuries in his first four Tests and the hundred duly arrived in his fifth, on his home ground.
Earlier, Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq, who made 83 before falling to New Zealand captain Tim Southee in the morning session’s only elimination.
Southee reviewed the original no-out decision and replays confirmed the ball grazed the end of Imam’s bat before nestling in Tom Blundell’s gloves.
Sarfaraz (78) joined Saud in a union of local boys who scored freely after the lunch break to reduce the deficit.
Sarfaraz posted the third consecutive fifty in his first round of Tests in nearly four years, but the hundred he was looking for did not materialize.
Two bullets after overturning an lbw decision against him, Sarfaraz was left baffled by Daryl Mitchell.
Saud pulled out a single from Michael Bracewell to raise his hundred and got a reprieve on 102 when Tom Latham hit a short-range single from Southee.
Bracewell took a brilliant hold in the slides to knock out Agha Salman for 41, however, and suddenly the wickets started falling.
Sodhi beat Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza with back-to-back deliveries but Abrar blocked the hat-trick delivery.
The opening test ended in a draw.
The hosts, responding to New Zealand’s first 449 innings, ended day three 407-9 after losing four quick wickets in the final session.
Saud, who forged a 150-race partnership with Ahmed Sarfaraz for the fifth wicket, was unbeaten on 124, which included 17 fours.
Abrar Ahmed, who denied Ich Sodhi a hat-trick, had not yet opened his account at the other end.
Saud entered the game with five half-centuries in his first four Tests and the hundred duly arrived in his fifth, on his home ground.
Earlier, Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq, who made 83 before falling to New Zealand captain Tim Southee in the morning session’s only elimination.
Southee reviewed the original no-out decision and replays confirmed the ball grazed the end of Imam’s bat before nestling in Tom Blundell’s gloves.
Sarfaraz (78) joined Saud in a union of local boys who scored freely after the lunch break to reduce the deficit.
Sarfaraz posted the third consecutive fifty in his first round of Tests in nearly four years, but the hundred he was looking for did not materialize.
Two bullets after overturning an lbw decision against him, Sarfaraz was left baffled by Daryl Mitchell.
Saud pulled out a single from Michael Bracewell to raise his hundred and got a reprieve on 102 when Tom Latham hit a short-range single from Southee.
Bracewell took a brilliant hold in the slides to knock out Agha Salman for 41, however, and suddenly the wickets started falling.
Sodhi beat Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza with back-to-back deliveries but Abrar blocked the hat-trick delivery.
The opening test ended in a draw.
