Pakistan was able to avoid the follow-on on day 3 of their first Test against New Zealand taking place at Mount Maunganui. But that would hardly compensate for the terrible collapse their batting order suffered in the morning session.
At the start of play, hopes were high from Abid Ali and other batsmen of a fightback. But the New Zealand bowling attack showed why they have been so good in the last few years. On the same pitch where Pakistan's bowlers couldn't dislodge the masterful Kane Williamson and later, the gritty BJ Watling, the Kiwi pace attack ran riot.
First, Kyle Jamieson ended Abid Ali's promising innings with a delivery that jagged back in and hit the stumps. The extra bounce generated by the tall bowler prevented Abid from coming forward and the ball went through his defences.
Mohammad Abbas, the night-watchman, went soon after, edging a delivery from Trent Boult. Then, Tim Southee, on the brink of 300 Test wickets, got into the act. Azhar Ali, the mainstay of Pakistan's batting, was done in by a wonderful delivery that swung away just a little bit to take the edge of Ali's bat.
Southee got his 298th scalp soon after when Haris Sohail sliced a delivery to gully. Pakistan were now tottering at 5/52. The new captain Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam got together and showed some resistance.
They put together 28 runs but then, Neil Wagner made an impact in his usual way. A short delivery got Fawad to attempt a pull. He only managed a faint top edge that was gleefully accepted by the wicketkeeper BJ Watling. At 80/6, Pakistan seemed set to follow on.
But then Rizwan showed the same determined batting that has led him to the captaincy position. He teamed up with Faheem Ashraf who batted with such authority that he could easily have been mistaken for a top-order batsman.
Ashraf was especially impressive with his pull shots, which were played in a most clinical manner. Rizwan, at the other end, also showed a solid technique and composure to keep his team from further harm.
The conditions had become easier for batting and now, the New Zealand bowlers seemed much less menacing. There were a couple of chances. An aerial drive by Faheem was dropped at short cover, a difficult chance. An edge of Rizwan's bat went through the gap between slips and gully. Rizwan reached his fifty in 106 balls. Faheem also got to the milestone, in 87 balls.
The two batsmen batted with much more application than was expected of them. They even dealt with the second new ball well. Eventually, what ended this brilliant partnership was some fielding brilliance. An attempted second run ended in disaster for the Pakistan captain as Mitchell Santner, who hardly bowled, sent a slingy, low arm throw from the deep that hit the stumps at non-striker end as Rizwan dived to make it to the crease, but was found short.
The skipper departed for a well-made and fighting 71. This opened the door for New Zealand to wrap up Pakistan's innings before they could avoid the follow-on. Boult got a ball to swing back into right-hander Yasir Shah and smash the stumps.
Shaheen Afridi parried an awkward bouncer to short-leg fielder Tom Latham. Meanwhile, Faheem saw an opportunity to get to his hundred. He had managed to take Pakistan past the follow-on mark. The lower order batsman seemed intent on getting his hundred before the close of the day's play.
In the final over, he hit a boundary to move to 91, but Jamieson got a delivery outside off stump to just climb a little and take the edge. It was taken by Watling to end Pakistan's innings at 239, trailing the hosts by 192 runs.
Jamieson finished with 3/35 off 23.2 overs in another impressive performance. Boult, Wagner, and Southee picked up two wickets each.
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