A disaster for Pakistan, which lost its first gates while trying to reach the target of 319 runs for New Zealand.

A disaster for Pakistan, which lost its first gates while trying to reach the target of 319 runs for New Zealand.

Pakistan started disastrously losing two wickets without scoring on Thursday after New Zealand set them an audacious target of 319 to win the Second Test in Karachi.

Captain Tim Southee hit fly-half Abdullah Shafiq with the second ball of Pakistan’s second innings before Esh Sodhi dismissed night-keeper Mir Hamzah on the last pass for the fourth day.

At the end of the encounter, Imam al-Haq was stunned on the pitch without scoring, and the hosts still needed 319 runs to win, or eight wickets in hand to secure a draw.

The loss would be their third home defeat in a season, after losing 1-0 to Australia and 3-0 to England earlier this year.

No team has managed to beat more than 314 to win a Test in Pakistan, which is what the home team did against Australia in Karachi in 1994.

New Zealand declared for their second innings with ten minutes to go at 277-5, after Michael Bracewell kicked a career best of 74 and Tom Blundell also scored 74.

Both men turned the game around with a 127-point fifth kick.

Pakistan had the game in hand as they trounced New Zealand 128-4 from 76-1 at lunchtime, bowled out by Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41) and Henry Nicholls (five).

But Blundell, who was knocked down in the 21st minute by goalkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed on spinner Abrar Ahmed, punished the hosts with seven boundaries and a six before Agha Salman was knocked out.

Bracewell, whose previous best performance was 49 against England earlier this year, was knocked out by 59 by Sarfaraz on Salman.

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In the after lunch session, New Zealand lost three wickets in the area of ​​50 balls and 14 runs.

Latham was caught cleverly by Abrar when he flicked his weak midfield off by fast bowler Naseem Shah.

With an unchanged total of 114, Abrar trapped Williamson at the front leg on the next over. Hasan Ali Nicholls made a catch soon after and New Zealand lost three wickets on 50 balls for 14 runs.

Field referees Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar had a terrible day with three of their decisions being overturned.

New Zealand were rocked out of their second innings when Hamza dispatched Conway for his first delivery.

It was the first time Conway had gone down without scoring in his 12-match test career.

Pakistan squandered two dismissals in front on Williamson as the batsman was on 7-9, while Latham had a decision overturned against him on 36 – all on Abrar.

At the start of the day, Pakistan were all out for 408 after adding just one run to their score for the night, in response to New Zealand’s total of 449.

Spinner Soddy cornered the last man, Abrar, before his leg for nothing, leaving Commander Saud Shakeel stranded at the other end.

Shakil is undefeated at 125 after a marathon of 493 minutes on the field, with 17 boundaries his freshman year.

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He finished with Ajaz Patel 3-88 and Sodhi 3-95.

The first two matches in the series – also in Karachi – ended in draws.

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