Wagner, Boult have Pakistan on the mat
Neil Wagner and Trent Boult ran through the Pakistan batting to reduce the visiting side to 129 for 7 and give New Zealand the advantage at the end of the third day of the first Test in Christchurch on Saturday (November 19).
Pakistan did well to wrap up the home side’s first innings for 200 and keep the deficit to 67, but lost six wickets in the final session of the day to be ahead by only 62 runs with two days remaining at the Hagley Oval.
Boult took 3 for 18 off 15 overs while Wagner had 2 for 21 from 14. Sohail Khan (22) and Asad Shafiq (6) were batting for Pakistan at stumps.
New Zealand’s bowlers were rewarded for their patience from earlier in the day.
Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand’s first-innings hero with 6 for 41, got the early breakthrough when Sami Aslam was caught behind for 7. But then Azhar Ali and Babar Azam were cautious in building Pakistan’s second innings, adding 37 in 23 overs.
Wagner ended that slow fightback in the sixth over after tea. Azam (29) attempted to fend away a ball targeting his ribs only for it to skim the gloves and was caught behind. It was Wagner’s 100th scalp in his 26th Test.
Younis Khan gloved a Wagner bouncer behind to BJ Watling while Misbah-ul-Haq’s attempt to take the attack to Tim Southee ended when he pulled one to Boult running around the long-leg boundary.
Boult then bowled Azhar to end the opener's marathon innings in which he faced 173 balls in more than four hours for only 31 runs. Sarfraz Ahmed, bowled for two, and Mohammad Amir, caught for six, were his next victims.
This undid the good work from Pakistan’s bowlers earlier in the morning, when they got rid of New Zealand’s last seven for only 96 runs.
New Zealand had resumed the day in a commanding position at 104 for 3, but fell trying to hurry the score along.
Henry Nicholls added only one run to his overnight score to be dismissed for 30, Sohail Khan getting the breakthrough. Jeet Raval was unable to add to his overnight 55, caught by Aslam off Amir.
De Grandhomme belted a quick-fire 29, which included six boundaries, while Southee (22) and Wagner (21) also featured in cameos.
Rahat Ali cleaned up the lower order, finishing with 4 for 62, while Sohail and Amir took three wickets each.
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