Pakistan Hold New Zealand To 151-4 With Key Wickets In Second Test

Cricket Image for Pakistan Hold New Zealand To 151-4 With Key Wickets In Second Test (Image Source: Twitter)

Pakistan grabbed three key wickets to restrict New Zealand to 151-4 at tea Thursday, as both teams wrestle for a series-clinching win in the second Test in Karachi.

At the break on day four, Tom Blundell and Michael Bracewell were at the crease with 22 and 10 respectively, as the visitors extended their lead to 192 with six wickets intact.

Despite the National Stadium pitch still not causing trouble for the batters, Pakistan pegged back the visitors from 76-1 at lunch with the wickets of Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41) and Henry Nicholls (five).

Latham was smartly caught off a miscued flick at short mid-wicket by Abrar Ahmed from fast-bowler Naseem Shah.

With the total unmoved on 114, in the next over Ahmed trapped Williamson leg-before. Hasan Ali had Nicholls caught soon after as New Zealand lost three wickets off 50 balls for 14 runs.

Field umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar had a horrible day with three of their decisions overturned.

New Zealand were jolted in the second over of their innings when Mir Hamza bowled Conway with his first delivery.

It was the first time Conway fell without scoring in his 12-match Test career.

Pakistan wasted two leg-before referrals on Williamson when the batter was on seven and nine, while Latham overturned a decision against him on 36 -- all off Ahmed.

At the start of the day, Pakistan were dismissed for 408 after adding just one run to their overnight score, in response to New Zealand's 449 first-innings total.

Spinner Ish Sodhi had last man Ahmed trapped leg-before for nought, leaving centurion Saud Shakeel stranded on the other end.

Shakeel was unbeaten on 125 after a marathon resistance-packed 493 minutes at the crease, hitting 17 boundaries in his maiden hundred.

Spinner Ajaz Patel finished with 3-88 and Sodhi 3-95.

The two-match series is tied after the first Test -- also in Karachi -- ended in a draw.