The final day offers much uncertainty as the fourth day ended with the game evenly poised and both teams will be looking to make the most of the situation. Pakistan, for their part, will look to wipe New Zealand’s tail as soon as possible and chase down a relatively small total. New Zealand would feel that they have a fighting total and given the nature of the pitch, batting fourth will certainly not be something Pakistan’s batsmen would be looking forward to. For the first time in the last four Test matches, the final day will begin with the result not already a foregone conclusion.

By Tanzeel ur Rehman (20th November, 2014)

Just when it seemed that a visiting team had finally wrested control of a Test match in UAE from a rejuvenated Pakistan, the home team roared back and put New Zealand squarely on the back foot on day four of the second Test. 

After suffering a mini-collapse near the end of day three, Pakistan began the fourth day 122 runs behind and with only four wickets in hand. The situation was made worse when they lost another three wickets in the first hour of the day with New Zealand still leading by 91.

Sarfraz Ahmed, who had kept a low profile upto that point then put together a fiery 81 run partnership with Rahat Ali, who became the first Pakistani player to be involved in more than one tenth wicket partnership of 75 or more in Test cricket. Sarfraz’s onslaught included two successive overs where he struck three boundaries apiece and Pakistan’s scoring rate was well above four runs per over for the last wicket partnership.

Sarfraz had been criticized for taking singles early in the over and exposing the tail to the strike which resulted in three quick wickets but he more than compensated as he scored his third Test century in the course of his partnership with Rahat Ali. In typical fashion, he brought the landmark up with a boundary which was followed by extravagant celebrations. By the time he gave Brendon McCullum his first Test wicket, New Zealand’s lead had already been reduced to a ceremonial ten runs with almost two full days of cricket to go.

Starting their second innings with a lead for the first time in the series, New Zealand got off to a flyer as captain McCullum took the attack to Pakistan’s pacers before sanity prevailed and the partnership broken when Yasir Shah removed Tom Latham for 9 with the score on 42.

With a significant amount of time still remaining, the game could go either way and Pakistan’s bowlers conspired with New Zealand’s batsmen to infuse some drama into it as as they lost another three wickets for 36. Jimmy Neesham and the out of form Ross Taylor brought some stability to the innings but their 46 run partnership ended with much work still to be done as Zulfiqar Babar beat Neesham comprehensively to bowl him through the gate.

BJ Watling, who replaced Neesham in the middle, batted bravely for nearly an hour before Yasir Shah finally bowled a delivery that proved impossible to negotiate, removing New Zealand’s last recognized batsman in the dying hours of the day with the lead still under two hundred and a full day’s play to follow. New Zealand ended the day on 167-6.

The final day offers much uncertainty as the fourth day ended with the game evenly poised and both teams will be looking to make the most of the situation. Pakistan, for their part, will look to wipe New Zealand’s tail as soon as possible and chase down a relatively small total. New Zealand would feel that they have a fighting total and given the nature of the pitch, batting fourth will certainly not be something Pakistan’s batsmen would be looking forward to. For the first time in the last four Test matches, the final day will begin with the result not already a foregone conclusion.

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