PAK vs NZ: Kane Williamson gritty century on Day 3 leaves Twitter ecstatic

New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson smashed his 25th Test hundred on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test match against Pakistan on Wednesday (December 28). Williamson's unbeaten 105 helped New Zealand to score 440/6 at the end of Day 3 at the National Stadium in Karachi to take a narrow two-run lead in their first innings. Tom Latham also registered a hundred in the first session but Devon Conway missed out on a century by just eight runs.

Resuming from 165/0 on Day 3, Latham and Conway forged a 183-run partnership for the first wicket. The veteran spinner Nauman Ali gave Pakistan an opening with Conway's wicket in the first session who scored 92 runs off 176 balls. Meanwhile, Latham smashed his 13th Test hundred but was caught out on 113 runs on Abrar Ahmed's delivery. 

New Zealand lost their third wicket in form of Henry Nicholls on Nauman Ali's delivery as Pakistan looked confident for more wickets on Day 3. But Williamson, playing first time after stepping down from captaincy duties from red-ball team, put in a crucial 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket with in-form Daryl Mitchell. Abrar broke the partnership with Daryl's wicket who scored 42 runs but Williamson formed another big partnership of 90 runs with wicketkeeper batter Tom Blundell.

Blundell scored crucial 47 runs off 116 balls before getting out on Mohammad Wasim's delivery. But Williamson smashed his 25th Test century to give New Zealand a lead in their first innings at the end of Day 3. Abrar took his third wicket of the day in form of batting all-rounder Michael Bracewell to give Pakistan a chance to even the odds at the end of Day 3. Williamson remained unbeaten on 105 runs off 222 balls and Ish Sodhi at 1* as New Zealand scored 440/6 to take two-run lead when the officials called it for a stumps.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Day 3's play of the first Test match:

Kane Williamson's records in Test cricket - One of the best in this Era! pic.twitter.com/c6UxUI9IT2

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) December 28, 2022

2⃣5⃣th Test ton for Kane Williamson 👊#PAKvNZ | #WTC23 | 📝 https://t.co/HdzZd87PUv pic.twitter.com/0tQvZ6OfFU

— ICC (@ICC) December 28, 2022

Abrar Ahmed becomes the first Pakistan bowler to get 20 wickets in the first three Tests 😳👏#PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/8LOUkSB3aC

— Tanveer Hassan (@tanveerspeaks_) December 28, 2022

Most Test Runs Scored by the 🇳🇿 Batters against 🇵🇰 :

1342* - Kane Williamson (2011/22)
999 - Ross Taylor (2009/21)
973 - Martin Crowe (1984/90)
753 - Mark Burgess (1969/79)
695 - Brendon McCullum (2009/14)
674* - Tom Latham (2014/22) #Cricket #PAKvNZ #KaneWilliamson

— Rehan Mazhar (@rehanch04) December 28, 2022

Tom Latham was not born when the last man before him scored a Test ton for New Zealand in Pakistan: Martin Crowe 108* NZ v PAK, Lahore 1990

— Mark Puttick (@GryllidaeC) December 28, 2022

Tom Latham's knock comes to an end on 113 as he top edges a sweep off Abrar Ahmed. NZ 231-2 with 15 mins to lunch as Nicholls joins Williamson (15*). Follow play LIVE in NZ with @skysportnz and @SENZ_Radio. LIVE scoring | https://t.co/zq07kr4cGV #PAKvNZ 📷 = PCB pic.twitter.com/1ZCjqtIyED

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 28, 2022

Kane Williamson was batting on 15 when his stumping was missed by Sarfaraz Ahmed. He's added 90 more runs and remains unbeaten on 105. You just cannot give an extra life to such world class batters, New Zealand would be looking to stretch the lead now. #PAKvNZ

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) December 28, 2022

Test centuries in most cricketing countries

11 - Younis Khan
10 - Rahul Dravid
10 - Mahela Jayawardene
10 - Kumar Sangakkara
10 - Kane Williamson*#CricketTwitter #PAKvNZ #PakvsNZ pic.twitter.com/3maW40bDwe

— Irfan Irru (@Irfan_irru_17) December 28, 2022

The state of play at stumps on Day 3️⃣ 🏏#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/Vf8iG1pYt1

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 28, 2022