Lunch Pakistan 274 for 4 (Sohail 110*, Azam 52*) v New Zealand
They might have had a night’s sleep, but Pakistan and New Zealand might have carried on unbroken by stumps last night, so similar was the tempo of the morning’s play. The frustration continued for New Zealand as Pakistan carried on in the same resolute vein as they broke off yesterday, with the only real highlight being the brief passage of play that culminated with Haris Sohail grinding to the most dogged of Test match hundreds. Babar at the other end was slightly more untethered in his approach, particularly when facing an indifferent Ish Sodhi, and relative to the pace of the match, cantered to his half-century in a brisk 104 balls. The 100-run partnership came up in 227 balls, and the upshot was Pakistan kept New Zealand wicketless for the second session in three, Haris Sohail once again central to the resistance as the hosts reached 274 by lunch.
Only 67 runs came off a session where Kane Williamson called upon all of his five bowlers – as well as himself – at various times in an attempt to break through with no success. Perhaps surprisingly, Ajaz Patel bowled the first over instead of Trent Boult, but once he was taken out of the attack, he wouldn’t return all session. Trent Boult wasn’t exactly subdued, but never quite possessed the penetrative threat he had carried this time around yesterday. Sodhi continues to struggle with the considerable challenge of bowling a consistent line in Test cricket, and found himself punished whenever he wavered, particularly by Babar in an over that went for 12, accounting for almost a fifth of all the runs this morning.
Despite some eyebrows raised at the particularly snail-paced nature of the scoring yesterday, Haris and Babar made it plain they would not be changing their ways. Beginning today at 207, Pakistan were still not out of the woods, and a batting collapse would have seen all the grind of yesterday be for nought. The most absorbing battle to be had was when Neil Wagner tried his own brand of short bowling against the pair, looking to lull them into a shot he had specifically placed onside fielders for. Neither would be tempted, barring one nudge from Haris that was dangerously close to short square leg.
Haris never looked more jittery than when one run from completing a deserved hundred, charging down the wicket to Sodhi to several balls without ever getting to the pitch. It was only a rushed single that got him there before he was able to revert to type, and once more looking like the player who may carry his bat throughout the innings if only he sets his mind to it.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have plenty to ponder over lunch, and will begin to steel themselves not only for another few hours of toil in the field, but also – when the time eventually comes – with the bat. Pakistan have consciously, forcefully dredged up the formula that Misbah-ul-Haq imparted upon them, and as things stand right now, all the equations seem to match.