On paper, the Test teams looked balanced and the series a competitive one but with Pakistan’s batsmen suddenly finding form at the same time and firing on all cylinders, New Zealand’s spin attack might find themselves in a tough spot from the get go. The onus will be on their pace attack to put pressure on Pakistan early if a fate similar to Australia’s bowlers is to be avoided. 

By Tanzeel ur Rehman (6th November, 2014)

After the year they’ve had, Pakistan had a lot to answer for in the two Test series against Australia and answer it they did, in grand style. After losing successive ODI series to Sri Lanka and Australia and a Test series to Sri Lanka, Pakistan came back roaring as they flattened Australia 2-0, subjecting Australia to two of their heaviest defeats in Test cricket. There is little time to celebrate though. A new challenger now awaits Pakistan and one in the form of New Zealand. 

Pakistan, after a series in which they utterly and completely dominated Australia, will be high on confidence and looking forward to the challenge of a full Test series against an in-form New Zealand. New Zealand, who last played Test cricket in June will not be short of confidence themselves, having won their last series, against the West Indies, 2-1 and 1-0 against India earlier in the year.

Pakistan has gone in to the series with the same squad that played against Australia, with injured pacers Junaid Khan out for at least 6 months and Wahab Riaz still rehabilitating from the injury he sustained in the third ODI against Australia last month. New Zealand too have selected a largely unchanged side from their triumphant tour to the Carribean earlier in the year, fast bowler Doug Bracewell being the only new inclusion in the side.

Fresh off the heels of scoring 9 centuries in two Tests, Pakistan’s batting lineup looks well settled. Younis Khan seems to age like fine wine, getting better with each passing year. Having scored three centuries, including a double, in his last four innings, he will certainly be looking forward to getting back in the middle and continuing his good run, possibly making a case for a return to the One Day squad. 

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad too are in fine form, scoring six centuries between them in the series against Australia. Misbah, who was under intense scrutiny after a sudden and dramatic loss of form after the home series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year, in particular looked a changed man. His twin centuries in the second Test included the fastest fifty and hundred in the history of Test cricket. Sarfraz, who returned to the Test team earlier in the year, has hit a rich vein of form himself, scoring two centuries in his last eight Test innings at a brisk pace. 

Where Pakistan’s batting looks settled, there are still some doubts over their bowling. While the spin department looks good, having played a key role in Australia’s downfall in the UAE, the lack of experience could come back to haunt them at some point. Some solace can be taken from the fact that the lack of experience certainly did not seem to impact the quality of their bowling against Australia. 

The pace department has similar issues. Imran Khan, though he bowled some outstanding spells in the match, still only has two Test matches under his belt. Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil and Mohammad Talha have all played fewer than ten Test matches apiece and on UAE surfaces that offer little for the faster men, New Zealand's powerful batting lineup could well look to capitalize on this inexperience.

Where Pakistan’s pace lineup looks green, New Zealand is fielding one of the better pace lineups in Test cricket. Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both expert exponents of conventional swing, will relish bowling at Pakistan, a team known for having their share of issues with the swinging new ball. All-rounder James Neesham, who has impressed consistently since his debut, will most likely form the third link in New Zealand’s pace attack. The backup pacers may be a worry though, with Doug Bracewell averaging 36.3 from 18 Tests and Neil Wagner 33.9 from 15. The spin department, in a series where spin bowling is expected to play a major part, looks to be the main weak link in the New Zealand side. Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner have had an unimpressive stint in the international game, averaging well north of 40 in 8 and 3 Tests respectively. Pakistan’s batsman will surely be fancying their chances after their display against a more accomplished spinner in Nathan Lyon.

New Zealand’s batting lineup has had an eventful year, with Captain Brendon McCullum starting the year with a series win against India that included a match saving triple century by him. Kane Williamson too has been in fine form, top scoring in the series against West Indies with two centuries to his name in three matches to go with an average of 82.6. Ross Taylor’s form has been questionable off late but as Misbah-ul-Haq demonstrated against Australia, all it takes for a quality batsman to find form is one good outing in the middle. Tom Latham and James Neesham have both made their debuts this year and both, Neesham in particular, have had fruitful debut seasons. Neesham has two centuries and two fifties in his eight Test innings, all played this year, while Latham has averaged just a shade under 40 with three fifties from his four Tests. 

On paper, the Test teams looked balanced and the series a competitive one but with Pakistan’s batsmen suddenly finding form at the same time and firing on all cylinders, New Zealand’s spin attack might find themselves in a tough spot from the get go. The onus will be on their pace attack to put pressure on Pakistan early if a fate similar to Australia’s bowlers is to be avoided. 

For their part, Pakistan must resist the temptation to ease off after giving it their all against Australia because with Pakistan’s batting, one bad session can quickly turn into a bad Test series, even an entire season! Pakistan’s spinners, after their magnificent display against Australia will be burdened by high expectations but Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah will relish their chances after the suffering they inflicted on Australia. As the teams take to the field for the 1st Test in this 3 match series in Abu Dhabi on November 9, much is at stake. Momentum will be a key factor, with this being Pakistan’s last full series of cricket before the 2015 World Cup and they will surely look to capitalize on the energy they have built up over the last month.

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