MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand, Dec 28, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – New Zealand took a dominant position in the first Test against Pakistan Monday as Tim Southee led an accurate attack that claimed four for 32 runs in an absorbing opening session on day three at Mount Maunganui.
Southee took two wickets while Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult chimed in with one apiece as Pakistan went to lunch at 62 for five in reply to New Zealand’s 431.
Mohammad Rizwan was not out six with Fawad Alam on five.
Southee needs two more wickets to become the third New Zealand bowler to pass the 300 mark after Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361).
Pakistan, who resumed the day at 30 for one, struggled against the New Zealand attack and Jamieson set up the first wicket of Abid Ali for 25 with a well executed one-two combination.
He first rocked Ali with a sharply rising ball that struck the opener on the right hand causing him to drop his bat in pain.
Two balls later, Jamieson fired down a fuller delivery that a wary Ali shaped to leave until he saw it nip back and was too late bringing the bat down.
Mohammad Abbas, sent in as nightwatchman when Shan Masood was dismissed late on Sunday, survived a torrid series of bouncers from Boult as he doggedly held his ground for nearly an hour.
He faced 37 balls before getting off the mark, then thick-edged Boult to the boundary to move to five before Boult found the fine edge he was looking for and Ross Taylor took the catch at first slip.
Southee wrapped up the session with the wickets of Azhar Ali (five) and Haris Sohail (three) in the space of five deliveries.
Azhar Ali was caught behind off an outswinger for five, and although the umpire initially said not out New Zealand sought a review which proved otherwise.
Neil Wagner bowled only four overs after being cleared to play despite X-rays showing a fractured toe where he was hit by a Shaheen Afridi yorker while batting on day two.
“He has been cleared to play by a doctor providing he can tolerate the pain,” a Black Caps spokesman said.