Twitter Reactions: Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Kyle Jamieson make it even-stevens on Day 1

The right-arm pacer Kyle Jamieson took 5/69 in his 21 overs and made life uncomfortable for the willow wielders.

By R Sai Siddhharth

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Azhar Ali
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Azhar Ali. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

Azhar Ali missed out on a well-deserved century on the opening day of the second Test as Pakistan was bowled out for 297 at the end of the first day. For Pakistan, two contrasting half-centuries from Azhar Ali and skipper Mohammad Rizwan allowed the visitors to keep New Zealand at bay.

While Azhar was dismissed by Matt Henry for 93 having played out 172 deliveries, Mohammad Rizwan was at his flamboyant best, as the wicketkeeper scored a brisk 61 off 71 deliveries to thwart the Kiwi challenge. For the hosts, the pick of the bowlers was Kyle Jamieson. The right-arm pacer took 5/69 in his 21 overs and made life uncomfortable for the willow wielders. He made the ball swing and generated awkward bounce off the surface to keep the batsmen constantly guessing.

Kiwi pacers run through Pakistan top order

In the morning session, the kiwi pacers ran through the Pakistan top order. The visitors ended the first session with the scorecard reading 88/4. Shan Masood was the first wicket to fall and was caught dead in front of the stumps by Tim Southee for a duck to leave Pakistan reeling at 4/1.

Both the Ali’s- Azhar and Abid then stitched together a 62-run partnership before Abid was removed by the impressive Kyle Jamieson. The right-handed opening batsman was dismissed after edging a delivery that was pitched on off stump to the slip cordon for 25. Jamieson then accounted for left-hander Haris Sohail.

In a moment of indecisiveness, Sohail tried to leave the delivery from Jamieson, but the ball took the edge of his willow to land straight into the hands of Henry Nicholls at gully. The final wicket to fall in the morning session was the hero of the first Test, Fawad Alam. And, it required an absolute peach from Jamieson to dismiss him.

Alam was caught totally off guard by a delivery that rose with stinging venom after pitching. The ball hit him on the glove and settled into the hands of wicket-keeper BJ Watling. The duo of Azhar and Rizwan managed to keep the kiwis at bay for 22 overs, before Jamieson provided the breakthrough yet again.

The tall pacer bowled a full-length delivery and all that Rizwan could manage to do was edge the ball into the hands of the keeper. Azhar and left-hander Faheem Ashraf were then involved in a 56-run partnership before Azhar was removed in the 63rd over of the day, edging Matt Henry to Ross Taylor at slip.

Ashraf and debutant Zafar Gohar then contributed useful runs lower down the order. While Ashraf was scalped by Jamieson for 48, Southee got rid of Gohar. Shaheen Afridi was the next man to go, edging Trent Boult into the hands of Henry Nicholls. Naseem Shah was the last man dismissed, with Trent Boult scalping his second wicket of the day.

The hosts made two changes, with the injured Neil Wagner and Mitchell Santner missing out. Matt Henry and Daryll Mitchell replaced them. For Pakistan, Zafar Gohar made his Test debut and replaced Yasir Shah in the side.

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