Shah spins Pak to series leveller
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah followed his extraordinary first innings performance with a six-wicket haul as Pakistan beat New Zealand by an innings and 16 runs in the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday to level the series 1-1.
The 32-year-old, who took 8 for 41 on Monday, had figures of 6 for 143 in the second innings for a match haul of 14 for 184.
New Zealand -- following-on after being dismissed for 90 in the first innings -- were bowled out for 312 soon after tea on the fourth day.
"I came to know yesterday (about Imran Khan's record) so it's an honour that my name will come with him," said Yasir.
"I haven't bowled as well as this, especially with the pitch offering turn and bounce like it did. We wanted to put the disappointment of the first Test behind us and set up the series."
Yasir's figures are the second best match return ever for Pakistan in Test cricket, bettered only by former captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan who took 14 for 116 against Sri Lanka in Lahore in 1982.
They are also the best by a Pakistani bowler against New Zealand, beating Waqar Younis's 12 for 130 in Faisalabad in 1990.
Medium-pacer Hasan Ali was also at his best, taking 3 for 46 as Pakistan gained a measure of revenge for losing the first Test by four runs in Abu Dhabi last week.
Resuming on 131 for 2 and needing a further 197 to make Pakistan bat again, the New Zealand batsmen, led by Ross Taylor (82), Henry Nicholls (77) and Tom Latham (50), dug in to make things tough for the Pakistani bowlers.
Nicholls came to the crease and set about frustrating the Pakistan bowlers, adding 52 with Taylor for the fourth wicket and 57 with BJ Watling for the fifth.
It was a brave stand from Nicholls but as skipper Kane Williamson later admitted, the damage had been done in the first innings when New Zealand lost all 10 wickets for just 40 runs in 14 overs.
"We batted better in the second innings," said Williamson. "But that session yesterday, Yasir put us under tremendous pressure and put the ball in the right areas and got us for 90. That low first innings total was always a factor."
The end came swiftly as Yasir picked up the last two wickets in the space of four balls.
SCORES IN BRIEF
PAKISTAN: First innings 418 for 5 decl.
NEW ZEALAND: First innings 90
NEW ZEALAND: Second innings 312 (Latham 50, Williamson 30, Taylor 82, Nicholls 77, Watling 27; Hasan 3-46, Yasir 6-143)
Result: Pakistan won by an innings and 16 runs and 3-match series level 1-1.
Player-of-the-match: Yasir Shah.
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