Wanted 10 in the match, 'didn't know I'd take 10 in a day' – Yasir

He claimed 8/41 in the first innings, the third-best innings figures by a Pakistan bowler in Test history. New Zealand slipped from 50/0 to 90 all out and were asked to follow on, and Yasir struck again, claiming two more wickets to bring his day’s haul up to 10. Only one other bowler, Anil Kumble, has ever claimed 10 Test wickets in a single day’s play.

"When I came [here] in the morning, I was thinking that I had to take 10 wickets in the match," Yasir said. "I didn't know that I would end up taking 10 wickets in a day! Now, I will try to help the team get those eight [second-innings] wickets as quickly as we can."

The feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that not long ago Yasir was recovering from a hip operation and feeling his way back to form. "Against Australia, I was getting my rhythm back slowly because I was just coming back from injury. You need time to get your rhythm after an injury. Today, I bowled really well.

Being Pakistan’s attack leader comes with expectation, with Yasir acknowledging that that meant he had to work harder in training and also try and out-think each batsman.

"Sometimes you do feel the pressure here because spinners get more wickets. So everyone expects you to take wickets. So you need to work even harder. I had worked hard in training. I think that's one of the reasons. Of course I had a plan for each batsman, because every batsman has got their own weakness and strengths."

However, no matter how hard you prepare, days like this are always unexpected. "It happens in cricket. It's part of the game. Sometimes you don't get wickets even when you bowl well. Sometimes obviously you don't bowl too well, but you get to learn from that."