Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali overcame an early misfire to lift Pakistan to 134 for two in reply to New Zealand’s first-innings 356 built on a century by Daniel Vettori in the second Test.
At stumps on day two, Pakistan trailed New Zealand by 222 with eight wickets in hand and the placid pitch starting to show signs of turn.
Umar was out on the last ball of the day for 70 and Ali was undefeated on 62.
The pair came together in the second over of the Pakistan innings after Mohammad Hafeez was given out on a dubious umpire’s call, and both put on half-centuries before Vettori captured Umar.
It was just reward for the New Zealand captain who earlier had the opener nick a ball which wicket-keeper Reece Young juggled before he finally secured the catch.
However, the New Zealand players offered a low-key appeal and the umpire turned it down.
Umar added another 36 runs and had three figures in his sights when he became overly defensive, stabbed at a full-length Vettori ball and it went straight to Martin Guptill.
Ali also had a life when on 32 he edged Tim Southee and the ball raced to the boundary between Young and first slip Ross Taylor who were standing abnormally far apart.
Their 132-run stand for the second innings underscored the placid nature of the wicket as Pakistan look to secure the two-Test series after easily wrapping up the first Test inside three days.
Vettori saves the hosts
New Zealand, seeking a more committed batting effort in this Test, were again in trouble when they collapsed to be 180 for six before Vettori brought a level of respectability to the score with his sixth Test century.
He put on 138 with Young (57) for the seventh wicket, was the last man out for 110, compiled in nearly four hours at the crease and including 10 fours and a six.
“[My century] was pleasing considering the situation we were in,” said Vettori, who added that his side’s aim is to restrict the tourists to 350 in the first-innings.
“If we can keep [Pakistan] to around our score then that would be great. We’ve obviously got to step up in the third innings and make sure we perform a lot better than we have and it will be trickier for them as the game goes on.”
Paceman Umar Gul finished with the best figures for Pakistan, four for 87 from 32 overs, while Tanvir took three for 93 from 25.
Left arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who had the difficult task of bowling a marathon spell into the strong northerly wind, ended with two for 96 from 45.1 overs.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2011.
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