Pakistan vs. New Zealand first test Draws due to Bad Lighting

The first test of two match test series between Pakistan and New Zealand is drawn due to insufficient lighting. 

Pakistan batted for over two and a half sessions on the last day. The lower order had several combinations that offered them a chance to win this test match. Babar Azam made a startling revelation. In 15 overs, New Zealand needed 138 runs.

NZ lost Bracewell in the first over on its own, but Tom Latham's blistering knock almost gave Babar Azam and company the upper hand. However, there was no resolution to the game since the umpires opted to end it with eight overs yet to play because of poor lighting.

Before the called-off, New Zealand was 61/1 in the chase of 138, with Tom Latham (35*) and Devon Conway (18*) both undefeated. Imam-ul-Haq scored 96 runs to give Pakistan a 137-run advantage, then Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saud Shakeel added 53 and 55* runs, respectively, before declaring their innings at 311/8. Ish Sodhi, who ended with a score of 6/86, was the pick bowler for New Zealand. It was Sodhi’s Maiden fifer in test cricket. The visitors declared their first innings on 612-9 earlier with Williamson's undefeated double century, giving them a healthy 174-run advantage over Pakistan's 438.

So saying for the final day, it was a brave call by the Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam to declare the innings one hour before the stumps and allow the visitors to chase a total of 137 runs. But Pakistan will surely look for the upcoming test pitches as they need to prepare surfaces where they can have a competitive advantage and the upper hand on the visitors.

The second test of the series will be played on the same Ground (National Stadium, Karachi) from January 2nd, 2023, to January 6th, 2023.