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Scorecard Summary
NEW ZEALAND 153 (66.3 OVERS)1ST INNINGS
- Kane Williamson63 (112)
- Henry Nicholls28 (78)
- Yasir Shah3/54 (16.3)
- Haris Sohail2/11 (8)
PAKISTAN 227 (83.2 OVERS)1ST INNINGS
- Asad Shafiq43 (93)
- Babar Azam62 (109)
- Colin de Grandhomme2/30 (13)
- Trent Boult4/54 (18.2)
NEW ZEALAND 249 (100.4 OVERS)2ND INNINGS
- BJ Watling59 (145)
- Henry Nicholls55 (171)
- Yasir Shah5/110 (37)
- Hasan Ali5/45 (17.4)
PAKISTAN 171 (58.4 OVERS)2ND INNINGS
- Azhar Ali65 (136)
- Asad Shafiq45 (81)
- Neil Wagner2/27 (13)
- Ajaz Patel5/59 (23.4)
Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: Hemant Brar
Phew! What nervy last few moments. But New Zealand have 1-0 lead now, with two Tests to go. For now, that's all from us. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you soon, everyone!
Kane Williamson: We knew the surface was not an easy one. There was considerable turn from day one and all the spinners bowled well. A great advertisement for Test cricket. In the end, it came down to the wire. We will sit down and review our performance and the things to improve upon. The attitude, certainly today and throughout the game, was brilliant. How those two bowlers [Ajaz and Wagner] bowled, for almost I think 20 overs, was brilliant. From our perspective, it's important to look at things we could have done better, but at the same, the fighting spirit we should, we would like to hold on to that.
Sarfraz Ahmed: We are really disappointing, we didn't get a good start, but then Azhar and Shafiq put in a good stand but then the collapse was really disappointing. You have to give credit to Ajaz as well. I think the shots batsmen played towards the end were really disappointing. We had an opportunity to win this Test but we will try not to repeat the mistakes we made here.
Ajaz Patel (Man-of-the-Match): My game plan is very simple, even though the scoreboard didn't look single. As a unit, we kept chipping away. A lot of credit goes to the environment we have, a very calm environment we have. In terms of the pressure on debut, I think I have put in a lot of handwork, leaving the rest to Allah. It's an absolute dream come true in the end. We know Pakistan have got very good players of spin, but we kept chipping in there, and in the end, all thanks to Allah.
2.42pm Time for presentation.
Pakistan were cruising at 130 for 3 at one stage, that's when Wagner removed Shafiq moments before the lunch break. Then there was a mix-up between Babar Azam and Azhar Ali, resulting in Babar's wicket, and that gave New Zealand a real opening. Ajaz Patel bowled that beautiful line and length, just around off, teasing batsmen with optimum flight. Still, the steely Azhar Ali was there. One can say he should have farmed the strike once Bilal got out. Did he leave it too late? Perhaps, but then he took them within five runs of victory, before Ajaz Patel dealt the final blow.
Ajaz Patel: A dream come true. The plan was to keep it simple and quite, bowl on middle and off, nice and straight. I am 30 now, I have put a lot of work in to put myself here.
2.30pm What a Test match we had. A well-deserved victory for New Zealand, by a narrow margin of four runs. Wagner bowled 13 on the trot, a debut to remember for Ajaz Patel, a five-wicket haul including that final wicket of Azhar Ali. Gary Stead's first Test as a coach, he is absolutely delighted
Azhar Ali lbw b Patel 65 (136b 5x4 0x6) SR: 47.79
END OF OVER:58 | 1 Run | PAK: 171/9
- Mohammad Abbas0 (10b)
- Azhar Ali65 (132b)
- Neil Wagner13-4-27-2
- Ajaz Patel23-4-59-4
Yasir: "Wagner has bowled 13 Overs in this spell."
Over the wicket. Silly point, short leg
Tayyab: "Will Azhar Ali finish like how Inzi did vs Bangladesh?" -- Inzamam was also one of two unbeaten batsmen when they won by one wicket against Australia in Karachi
Match Coverage
All Match NewsArthur confident of Pakistan channeling Abu Dhabi hurt
Pakistan coach believes time off after the shock loss will help side refocus ahead of the Dubai Test
'That last hour was freakish' - Neil Wagner on New Zealand's four-run win over Pakistan
He was so focused on his role in securing New Zealand a famous four-run victory in Abu Dhabi that he barely realised he had produced a marathon 13-over spell
Abu Dhabi win ranks as 'one of our best' - Williamson
Kane Williamson was delighted with the fighting spirit his charges showed as they snatched a dramatic four-run win in the first Test in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan
Struggling Sarfraz laments "soft, cheap dismissals"
The Pakistan captain pointed to Babar Azam's run out as the turning point, while admitting to being disappointed with the shot he himself played to get out
The fifth-narrowest win in Test cricket
New Zealand won by four runs, handing Pakistan their narrowest defeat in Test cricket