Ian O'Brien, playing his last Test for New Zealand, came up with a hostile bowling performance to help the hosts bowl Pakistan out for just 223 and put them in command despite a career-resurrecting century by Pakistan opener Imran Farhat on the first day of the third and final Test on Friday.
Ian O'Brien, playing his last Test for New Zealand, came up with a hostile bowling performance to help the hosts bowl Pakistan out for just 223 and put them in command despite a career-resurrecting century by Pakistan opener Imran Farhat on the first day of the third and final Test on Friday.
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On a pitch which could not be termed as a bowling paradise, O'Brien bowled with lot of hostility and fire to reduce Pakistan to 59/5 at one stage before Farhat pulled his team out of the woods and helped them post a relatively competitive total of 223.
After bowling Pakistan out cheaply, New Zealand openers, Tim McIntosh and BJ Watling, gave their team a solid start and ended a near perfect day for the hosts on 47 for no loss.
O'Brien's (4/35) brilliance notwithstanding, it was more of a display of self-destructive cricket from the Pakistani top-order batsmen after they elected to bat first on a relatively placid track.
It was Tim Southee, who started the proceedings for the Kiwis, as he bowled opener Salman Butt before O'Brien took control over the erratic Pakistani batsmen.
He practically ran through the top-order, dismissing susceptible Faisal Iqbal (6), ever-dependable Mohammad Yousuf (0), new batting sensation Umar Akmal (0) and ageing Misbah-ul-Haq (0) in quick succession to leave the tourists tottering at 59 for 5.
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| Misbah-ul-Haq |
Though Imran Farhat stood amidst the ruins, scoring a fighting century, and along with later order batsmen, took Pakistan's total past 200. He carried his bat through the innings and remained stranded at the end on a dogged 117, a brilliant effort which will surely revive his Test career.
Kamran Akmal (22), Mohammad Aamer (23) and Umar Gul (24) had put up a brave fight at the end before Darryl Tuffey (4/52) finished off the tail with a clinical display of fast bowling.
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