Pakistan draws Test against New Zealand with Sarfaraz’s century

Former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed made his return to Test cricket even more impressive with a century in the second innings as Pakistan managed to draw a last-over thriller against New Zealand on Friday. Both the matches of this two-match series ended in a draw. Sarfaraz, returning to the team after four years, played an innings of 118 runs. He had earlier scored half-centuries in three innings. Pakistan needed 15 runs to win while New Zealand needed one wicket when the umpires decided to stop play due to bad light.

Chasing 319 to win, Pakistan scored 304 for nine. Sarfaraz faced 176 balls during his innings of four hours and 48 minutes and hit nine fours and a six. He shared a 123-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Saud Shakeel (32) to bring Pakistan back into the match. Earlier, New Zealand spinners had dismissed Pakistan for 80 runs on Friday, the last day of the second cricket test.

Off-spinner Michael Bracewell (4/75) dismissed Babar Azam and Shan Masood in the space of six balls. After this Ish Sodhi (2/59) bowled Imamul Haq. Bracewell broke his partnership of over three hours with Sarfaraz by dismissing Shakeel in the last session of the day. Agha Salman then played an innings of 30 runs in 40 balls but he was bowled by Matt Henry (1 wicket for 69 runs). Hasan Ali (five) was lbw by captain Tim Southee (2 for 43), while Bracewell raised New Zealand’s hopes of victory by dismissing Sarfaraz. For the last wicket, Naseem Shah (15 not out) and Abrar Ahmed (7 not out) shared an unbroken 17-run partnership in 21 balls to save the team from defeat.