Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Preview and Predicted Playing XI
New Zealand defeated Pakistan by four runs in the opening Test at Abu Dhabi to take the early honours. The visitors will now aim to seal series when they face Pakistan in the second Test at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium from Saturday, November 24.
Both teams have played 56 Test matches against each other, with 24 of being won by the Men in Green and 11 by the Kiwis. The remaining 21 have ended in draws. They have faced each other just once at the Dubai Cricket Stadium in the longest format, back in November 2014. The match ended in a draw.
Pakistan
Pakistan made a blunder of what was sought to be a pretty comfortable chase, and they would have been very disappointed with themselves after the unexpected self-made mess in the first Test.
At 130-4, chasing a target of 176, with two experienced campaigners on the crease, no one would have dared to see them on losing side. But a late-order collapse saw them fall four runs short.
Batting
Babar Azam and Azhar Ali scored 75 and 87 runs respectively in the opening fixture and the team need them to continue from where they left off in the first Test. Asad Shafiq was guilty of not converting the starts into a big one. He scored 88 runs in the match. He will look to play a big innings this time.
Their main concern will be openers Imam ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. Both failed to live up to the expectations in the first encounter and it will be essential that these two lay down a strong platform in the second Test.
Bowling
Both Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali snared a five-fer in second innings of the first Test. The duo claimed eight and seven wickets in total. When in full swing, these two are certainly a big threat for the opposition.
Pakistan will also be counting on the likes of Mohammad Abbas and Haris Sohail to deliver the goods with the ball. Both picked two wickets each in the first Test and they will be backed by their skipper to put their best in the upcoming encounter.
Expected Playing XI
Sarfraz Ahmed (C), Bilal Asif, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam.
New Zealand
The NewZealanders have played three Test matches this year. Of those, they have won two, while sharing the honours on one occasion. After being completely outplayed in the first innings, Williamson's men gave the hosts a good run for their money in the first Test. The visitors held on to their nerves in the fourth inning and won the match by 4 runs.
Batting
Skipper Kane Williamson struck a half-century in the first innings of the Abu Dhabi Test and the team will be expecting another strong contribution from him. Opener Jeet Raval too showed some promising signs in the second innings. He scored 46 runs and would be looking to make it better in next outing.
Tom Latham and Ross Taylor are two experienced batsman in this line-up and they will look to bounce back after having scored just 13 and 21 runs in the last game respectively.
Bowling
Trent Boult claimed a four-fer in the first innings of the opening Test. Debutant Ajaz Patel starred with the ball in second innings, his five-wicket haul proves to be a match-turner for the Kiwis and they will expect these two to replicate their heroics in the second Test too.
Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner would be expected to chip in with important wickets in the match. The duo shared six wickets between them in the opening Test and would be eager to replicate a similar performance in the second match.
Expected Playing XI
Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult, Jeet Raval and Tom Latham.