The second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand ended remarkably on Friday, with both sides having realistic chances of winning the match. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s hard-fought century on Day 5 kept Pakistan in the running for victory despite wickets falling at the other end as they chased down a target of 319. Sarfaraz ended up being the 10th wicket to fall after scoring 118 in 176 balls and the Kiwis then brought the fielders to surround the last two batsmen with less than 10 overs to go on the day.
However, Pakistan also needed just 32 runs to win when the last-wicket partnership began and Naseem Shah reduced the gap by hitting across the field and finding the boundary several times. In the end, Pakistan needed just 15 runs to win with about three overs to spare on a day when the umpires decided the light was not good enough for the game to continue. Both players shook hands, and the second trial, like the first, ended in a draw.
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There were a few who were angered by the decision to end the test potentially just before the result could come. They included former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris and Kiwi star Jimmy Neesham. “Both teams had chances to win, and we are leaving the field with 3 overs to go. Exhibit A why Test cricket is in trouble. Well done to both teams for fighting to the end,” Styris said in a tweet.
Neesham responded to Styris saying, “You sit through 4 days of garbage to set up a truly captivating ending and then this s**t happens. What an absolute dog’s breakfast of sports”
Pakistan thus halted an alarming streak of Test defeats at home with a series draw against New Zealand. They were previously defeated by an unrestrained English team 3-0. It was the first time Pakistan had been whitewashed at home. He also made it four consecutive Test match defeats at home for Pakistan, losing the last Test against Australia in the series earlier in 2022.
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