Opener Imam-ul-Haq anchored Pakistan with a pugnacious half-century as the house staff reached 154-3 on the shut Tuesday after New Zealand piled up a useful 449 of their first innings of the second Test in Karachi. At the shut of day two, Haq was unbeaten on 74 and Saud Shakeel 13 as the house staff want one other 96 runs to keep away from the follow-on. Pakistan began chaotically, shedding opener Abdullah Shafique (19), Shan Masood (20) and skipper Babar Azam (24) earlier than the Haq-Shakeel stand added 55 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket.

In distinction, New Zealand’s tail wagged furiously, with Matt Henry (68 not out) and Ajaz Patel (35) each scoring Test-bests as they added a useful 104 runs for the final wicket.

The two-match sequence is tied after the primary Test, additionally in Karachi, led to a draw. The National Stadium pitch provided little to the bowlers, however Pakistan did themselves no favours by having skipper Azam, the staff’s finest batsman, run out.

Haq drove Bracewell in the direction of mid-wicket and noticed Azam stranded at his finish trying a 3rd run. But Haq took cost along with his seventh half-century — whilst Shakeel wanted 42 balls to get off the mark on the different finish.

Earlier, Shafique was the primary Pakistan wicket to fall when he pulled pacer Henry’s brief supply straight to the arms of Ajaz Patel and Masood gave a catch off Patel. Henry and Patel had mixed earlier to elevate New Zealand from 345-9.

Henry smashed eight boundaries and two sixes in his knock, bettering his earlier excessive in opposition to Australia at Christchurch in 2016 by six runs. Patel additionally bettered his earlier Test-best of 20 — in opposition to England final 12 months — earlier than he was the final wicket to fall, caught off spinner Abrar Ahmed.

Naseem took the day’s first wicket when he bowled Ish Sodhi for 11 with a ball that minimize by sharply. Blundell, who was 30 in a single day, reached his fifty with a boundary and a single off Ahmed. He hit six boundaries in his 51 earlier than being bowled by Ahmed.

The spinner then had Tim Southee stumped for ten, earlier than Henry and Patel extended the innings, serving to New Zealand cross the 400-mark. Ahmed was the choose of the bowlers with 4-149, whereas Naseem Shah (3-71) and Agha Salman (3-75) have been the opposite profitable bowlers.

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