Ruthless Yasir rips through NZ batting

By AFP

November 27, 2018

DUBAI: Leg-spinner Yasir Shah wrecked New Zealand with a career best eight wicket haul as Pakistan sniffed victory on the third day of the second Test in Dubai on Monday.

The 32-year-old grabbed 8-41 in 12.3 overs which annihilated New Zealand to 90 all out in just 35.3 overs before taking two more wickets as New Zealand — following on — were 131-2 at close in their second innings.

Yasir dismissed opener Jeet Raval for two before accounting for New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson caught behind for 30 to complete his third ten-wicket haul in the match. Tom Latham (44) and Ross Taylor (49) were at the crease at close as New Zealand need another 197 runs to avoid an innings defeat while Pakistan can level the series by taking another eight wickets with two days to play.

New Zealand won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by four runs last week to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Taylor has hit six boundaries and a six in his return-to-form innings while Latham has hit three boundaries as the two have added 65 for the unbroken third wicket stand to take the fight to the Pakistan bowlers.

But the day belonged to Yasir, who rocked New Zealand in the first innings.He also became the first Pakistani to take ten wickets in a single day, ninth in the world with England’s left-arm spinner Johnny Briggs doing it twice.

Rain had delayed the start of the third day by an hour but when the action started Yasir was lightening, bowling to his best ability on a turning Dubai stadium pitch. Yasir dismissed Latham (22), Taylor (nought) and Henry Nicholls (nought) in his ninth over, triggering a collapse during which New Zealand lost all their ten wickets for just 40 runs after being well set on 50 without loss.

Pakistan Ist innings 418-5 (Haris Sohail 147, Babar Azam 127 not out, Azhar Ali 81; C. de Grandhomme 2-44)

New Zealand Ist innings

J. Raval b Yasir Shah 31

T. Latham c Imam b Yasir 22

K. Williamson not out 28

R. Taylor b Yasir 0

H. Nicholls b Yasir 0

BJ Watling run out 1

C. de Grandhomme lbw b Hasan 0

I. Sodhi c Sarfraz b Yasir 0

N. Wagner lbw b Yasir 0

Ajaz Patel lbw b Yasir 4

T. Boult st Sarfraz b Yasir 0

Extras: (lb3, nb1) 4

Total: (all out; 35.3 overs) 90

Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Raval), 2-61 (Latham), 3-61 (Taylor), 4-61 (Nicholls), 5-63 (Watling), 6-69 (Grandhomme), 7-72 (Sodhi), 8-72 (Wagner), 9-90 (Patel), 10-90 (Boult)

Bowling: Abbas 9-4-18-0 (1nb), Hasan 10-5-25-1, Hafeez 2-1-1-0, Yasir 12.3-1-41-8, Asif 2-1-2-0,

New Zealand second innings

J. Raval st Sarfraz b Yasir 2

T. Latham not out 44

K. Williamson c Sarfraz b Yasir 30

R. Taylor not out 49

Extras: (b 4, lb 2) 6

Total: (for two wkst; 43 overs) 131

Still to bat: H. Nicholls, B. Watling, C. de Grandhomme, I. Sodhi, N. Wagner, Ajaz Patel, T. Boult

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Raval), 2-66 (Williamson)

Bowling: Abbas 4-1-11-0, Hasan 5-3-5-0, Yasir 15-2-65-2, Hafeez 3-1-6-0, Asif

14-1-30-0, Sohail 2-0-8-0