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NZ vs PAK | 1st Test: Blackcaps get better of defiant Pakistan's lower order batsmen

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New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 101 runs in the first Test of the two-match series at Mount Maunganui and surged to the top of the ICC Test Rankings for the first time in its history. There were multiple heroic performances from either side, but New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was adjudged Man of the Match for his resilient 129 in the first innings that set the platform for the hosts’ dominance over the touring Pakistan side for most of the game.

Pakistan were given a target of 373 runs to chase in the final innings of the Test and they put up a valiant effort to take the game into the final session on the back of excellent rearguard action from stand-in captain Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam.

The tourists were in trouble after the top order was sent back to the pavilion very early, and when Azhar Ali nicked off to BJ Watling off Trent Boult after a defiant 120-ball 38, the hosts were smelling a victory. But, the Blackcaps had to bowl with excellent control and patience to take the next wicket as both Fawad and Rizwan decided to dig in and not throw their wickets away. The duo batted with impeccable patience and the partnership lasted more than 60 overs in terms of time and 125 runs in terms of runs as Fawad Alam completed a magnificent century to prove his batting credentials are not limited to first-class cricket and that he belongs to this level and can score runs against a top bowling attack as well.

The Blackcaps were pushed to the edge and they had their task cut out to take six wickets in the final session. The old saying of cricket that one wicket brings two, unfortunately, proved to be true for the tourists. Kyle Jamieson trapped Rizwan in front of the stumps and only three overs later, Wagner found the glove of Fawad Alam which was taken by BJ Watling.

Three more wickets fell in quick succession as the Blackcaps went for the kill, albeit with a spinner in Mitchell Santner and also Wagner, who was heroically bowling with a broken toe. The left-arm spinner repaid the faith and got rid of Mohammad Abbas with one that kept going on with the arm after Wagner found the outside edge of Faheem Ashraf, who was the highest run-scorer for the tourists in the first innings.

The last pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was stuck on the head by Wagner took Pakistan very close to saving the game in what could be termed as one of the best rearguard actions seen in the recent past, but it wasn’t to be as Santner was smarter of the three and he caught Naseem Shah off his own bowling to win Blackcaps the game and kept the side in the hunt for the World Test Championship Final to be played at Lord’s.

Although Pakistan lost the match they came so close to saving it that they would take heart from the grit and determination the lower order batsman showed on a tough pitch against a very potent bowling line up that had the quartet of Boult, Southee, Jamieson, and Wagner, along with the left-arm spinner Santner. Stand-in skipper Rizwan accepted it as part of the beauty of Test cricket where teams work hard to beat each other playing at their best.

He also rued soft dismissals and the collapse in the first innings, while heaping praise on Kane Williamson whose calmness and solidity with the bat steered New Zealand to a total that was enough to test Pakistan’s resolve in the first Test. Neil Wagner who kept on bowling with a broken toe got a special mention from Rizwan, who believes Pakistan are still in the series even after a narrow loss in Mount Maunganui.

"Not too disappointed. This is the beauty of Test cricket. As a human being, I believe Almighty Allah gives us rewards for hard work. New Zealand worked harder than us, and that's why the result was with their team. After the toss, our decision was good, but fielding well is most important when you want to take early wickets. We collapsed in the field and gave away a few too many catches, but Williamson played really well. Yes, the declaration was a good one, but they took early wickets. Again today, we wanted to go for the target, but they took early wickets. They have done really well in Test cricket. I must give special credit to Neil Wagner, for bowling with a fractured toe. We lost this match, but we are still in the series. We played very well in this match, and we need some improvement in our bowling,” Rizwan said in the post-match presentation.

On the other hand, the winning skipper Williamson once again shrugged off the question of playing the WTC Final at the Lord’s and said that his side believes in staying in the present. However, he accepted that the WTC plays a role in deciding the fate of the match as teams go for the win in quest of more points and which might see them also losing the game, which could have been defended.

"Our focus is on the present. Absolutely, we want to play the World Test Championship final, and we saw it in the final session today when there was that carrot in mind. But in Tests, you know that it's all about going moment by moment, and that's what you play with. We did make the declaration that if the wicket doesn't deteriorate, it would have given them a chance. They had some positive players at the crease, and some more to come. The WTC means you give yourself a chance to win a game, but also lose it. It gave the viewers that spectacle, with three possible results going into the final session. I think we saw similar characteristics on this wicket when we played against England. We are playing in our country, but on surfaces which are varied. With the wind and the sun, it started to offer a bit more,” Williamson said.

The second and the final Test of the two-Test series between the sides will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from January 3.

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