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Home , Abid Ali (cricketer), Batting order (cricket), Fawad Alam, Kagiso Rabada, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson

12 Thursday, December 31, 2020 Sports

MOUNT MAUNGANUI TEST: SO NEAR, YET SO FAR

New Zealand’s Neil Wagner (centre) celebrates with teammate after taking the of ’s Fawad Alam (left) during the fifth day of their 1st Test at in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday. (AFP) Kiwis’ ‘inspiration’ Wagner hailed for defying broken toes

AFP ent guy. His attitude is eve- Mount Maunganui rything, his aggression is very beautiful.” Fast bowler Neil Wagner was Pakistan batsman Azhar hailed as an “inspiration” on Ali also said he had “huge re- Wednesday after he shrugged spect” for Wagner. off the pain of two broken toes “I said that to him -- that’s to help bowl New Zealand to what it means to play for your victory in the first Test. nation,” Azhar said. A Shaheen “I think he’s showing that fractured two toes in Wagner’s and he’s an inspiration, eve- right foot during New Zea- ryone knows he’s got not one, land’s first but, surviv- but two, broken toes and he’s ing on painkilling injections fighting for his team. and grit, he bowled 21 overs in “He was giving 100 percent Pakistan’s first innings and 28 and maybe more than that, so in the second for a match haul I have a huge respect for him.” New Zealand players celebrate their victory after taking the final wicket of Pakistan’s Naseem Shah (left) on the fifth and final day of their first Test match played at the Bay Oval of four . Williamson said trying to in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, on Wednesday. The hosts won by 101 runs where Pakistan were just 27 balls away from escaping with a draw. ((AFP) Wagner crucially removed get the most out of Wagner Fawad Alam for 102 during a before the painkillers wore off marathon 11-over spell late on was a unique situation. the fifth day to snuff out Paki- “People talk about the size stan’s hopes of a surprise vic- of his heart in terms of what he tory. New Zealand eventually (normally) does on the New Zealand end Pakistan’s won by 101 runs, 27 balls from field but to have a couple of the close. broken toes, and he’s in a lot New Zealand of pain and going off to get in- said it was jections and numbing his foot, an incredible performance, and we’re trying to use him,” although Wagner’s heart was Williamson said. well known within the team. “It was very, very special defiance for thrilling Test win Pakistan skipper Moham- from ‘Wags’, one the team ap- mad Rizwan said: “I just told preciated. We needed him out AFP Scoreboard stan’s resistance. times previously, and even his him he’s mad. He’s a differ- there and he delivered.” Mount Maunganui Pakistan captain Rizwan lbw shout against Rizwan was New Zealand (1st innings): 431 S. Afridi 8 said that despite the result, he turned down before the um- New Zealand beat Pakistan by Pakistan (1st innings): 239 Naseem Shah c&b Santner 1 was proud of the way his side pire’s decision was overturned New Zealand (2nd innings) 180-5 decl Extras: (b16, lb7, w2 nb8) 33 101 runs in a thrilling finish to Pakistan (2nd innings: Overnight 71-3) Total: (All Out, 123.3 overs) 271 played. on review. the first Test in Mount Maun- S. Masood c Taylor b Southee 0 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (), 2-0 (Masood), 3-37 “We put in hard work, but Alam lasted three more ganui on Wednesday, where Abid Ali c Watling b Boult 0 (Sohail), 4-75 (), 5-240 (Rizwan), 6-242 you must give credit to the overs until he gloved a Wagner the visitors were just 27 balls Azhar Ali c Watling b Boult 38 (Alam), 7-251 (Yasir Shah), 8-259 (Ashraf), 9-261 New Zealand team,” he said. short ball to wicketkeeper BJ H. Sohail c Santner b Southee 9 (Abbas), 10-271 (Naseem Shah). from escaping with a draw. F. Alam c Watling b Wagner 102 : Southee 23-8-33-2 (1w), Boult 25-9-72-2 Jamieson struck first, 11 Watling down the leg side. The win tentatively put M. Rizwan lbw Jamieson 60 (1w), Jamieson 26-13-35-2, Wagner 28-9-55-2 (5nb), overs after the tea break, with Alam had been discarded New Zealand top of the World F. Ashraf c Watling b Wagner 19 Santner 19.3-3-52-2 (2nb), Williamson 2-1-1-0. the wicket of Rizwan, lbw for by Pakistan in 2009 after rankings and kept alive their Yasir. Shah c Southee b Jamieson 0 Toss: Pakistan. 60, before Wagner removed three Tests and a best innings chances of making the World M. Abbas lbw Santner 1 Result: New Zealand won by 101 runs. Alam for 102. of 168, and since his recall this Test Championship final. Jamieson produced a par- year his highest score was 21 After a 165-run fifth-wick- ter tea and Jamieson -- on his bet than anything else. ticularly miserly spell after the against England in August. et stand by Fawad Alam and 26th birthday -- bowled nine. “It was great coming away tea break when he sent down There were a few loose Mohammad Rizwan the Test They obliged with the wickets with the result and the excite- nine overs and took two for shots early in his innings and went into the final session with of Alam and Rizwan. ment of finishing so late in the four. a nerve-wracking moment both sides in with a chance to “We saw an incredible piece obviously adds to that.” Apart from when Pakistan when a ball ricocheted off his win. spell from Kyle and Wags to- When Jamieson had Ri- whipped out the New Zea- arm and bounced dangerously Pakistan needed 158 gether that did turn the match zwan lbw for 60 and Wagner land openers cheaply on day close to the stumps. runs, New Zealand required when it was looking likely to removed Alam for 102, New one, the match had been in Otherwise he staunchly six wickets and 36 overs re- run out into a draw,” William- Zealand were into the tail as New Zealand’s control until held his own through 269 de- ’s batsman plays a shot during a training session mained. son said, adding that with so Pakistan folded from 240 for Rizwan, the stand-in skipper, liveries before bringing up his at the Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on Wednesday, New Zealand captain Kane much at stake he could not four to be all out for 271. joined Alam in the middle with with a four off Wagner a day after losing to India in the second Test. (AFP) Williamson put his faith in contemplate going defensive. Tail-enders Shaheen Af- Pakistan 75 for four on the fi- – only two more runs Neil Wagner, bowling on two “For us it was trying to win ridi and Naseem Shah kept nal morning. off his next 33 balls before his broken toes, and the young- at all costs. Going into that last the draw option alive as long They occupied the dismissal. Burns dumped as est of his pace quartet, Kyle session we still clearly had that as they could, blocking for for more than 63 overs until New Zealand’s frontline Jamieson, to swing the match opportunity, as did Pakistan, seven overs in fading light be- Jamieson struck 11 overs into pace bowlers , towards the Black Caps. but in the context of the Test fore Naseem was caught and the final session. , Wagner, Jamie- Warner, Pucovski Wagner bowled a mara- championship losing while bowled by spinner Mitchell Jamieson had gone close son and Santner each took two thon 11 overs unchanged af- trying to win was still a better Santner for one, ending Paki- to taking a wicket several wickets. get nod for Australia AFP chance to play,” Hohns said. Sydney The selection of Pucovski clears the way for the 22-year- coach Boucher highlights Australia on Wednesday old to make his Test debut, after included and a blow to the helmet in a warm- debutant in up match earlier this month. challenges for bowlers in times of Covid their squad for the third Test Australia won the opening against India, with selectors Test in Adelaide by eight wick- ditching after a ets, with India levelling the se- AFP injury woes emphasised the poor start to the series. ries on Tuesday with an eight- Centurion importance of teams having Warner will return as he wicket win in Melbourne. big squads at a time when it continues recovering from a Despite an outbreak of COV- Kagiso Rabada is not an au- Because his name is Kagiso was necessary for players to be groin injury, while Pucovski is ID-19 in Sydney, Cricket Aus- tomatic choice for South Af- Rabada, we would want to in bio-secure ‘bubbles’. also expected to be fit after a tralia has confirmed the third rica in the second Test against play him but we’ve got to He said South Africa would concussion, Test will be held at the SCG on Sri Lanka, according to coach manage his loads. He’s not tamper with their top six said in a statement. January 7, with players expected Mark Boucher. coming back from injury so order after the team Fast bowler to arrive on the 4th. Rabada joined the South piled up 621 runs in Centurion has also recovered from a calf The virus cluster, which African bio-secure environ- we will just monitor his but hinted that there could be strain and was included in the emerged earlier this month, ment during the first Test after progress. some rotation of bowlers. 18-man squad for the remain- has forced authorities to put recovering from a groin strain SA coach Mark Boucher “Sometimes with bowlers der of the four-Test series. parts of the city in lockdown but South Africa’s leading fast you just want to play a guy for But out-of-form Burns was and place restrictions on travel bowler will need to be assessed the sake of playing him because released after struggling in the to other states. carefully before being rushed the biggest challenge facing he is your top bowler. You need first two Tests. But officials were still con- into action when the second cricket teams in the times of to consider his workloads, from “Unfortunately, Joe’s re- fident the Test would be able Test starts at the Wanderers in Covid-19 was managing fast Kagiso Rabada is not an automatic choice for South Africa in the a mental side, from a physi- turns haven’t been what he to go ahead before the teams on Sunday. bowlers. second Test against Sri Lanka, according to coach Mark Boucher. cal side. You’ve got to take the or the selectors would like or travelled to Brisbane for the “Because his name is Kag- He said he had sympathy emotion out of it and make a what we consider he is capable final Test on January 15. iso Rabada, we would want to for opposite number Mickey order to bowl 20 overs a day. bowl another 10 overs, and smart cricketing decision.” of,” national selector Trevor Australia squad: play him but we’ve got to man- Arthur who had to deal with It’s easier for batters to work on while you are busy waiting you Referring specifically to Hohns said. (capt), , Sean age his loads,” said Boucher. two Sri Lankan fast bowlers their fitness. You can do shut- walk around the field, trying to Rabada, Boucher said it would Although Warner was still Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh “He’s coming back from breaking down during the tles. But, it’s difficult to bowl 20 simulate what you would do in be unfair to the team, as well recovering from his injury, se- Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis injury so we will just monitor Test. overs in your back garden. a game. as the player, to rush him into lectors were hoping the opener Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus his progress.” “It’s very difficult in these “You have to try to simu- “You can’t put guys in cot- action if there was a high risk would be fit for the match at Labuschagne, , Speaking after South Af- times to prepare,” he said. late a game situation. You ton wool and just have them of him being injured, espe- the . , James Pattin- rica’s win over the Sri Lankans “We are having to think out might have to bowl 10 overs bowl six overs and think they cially with Test series against “David has made strong son, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, by an innings and 45 runs of the box continuously to try in the morning and then come are ready for a Test match.” Pakistan and Australia coming progress in his recovery from , , in Centurion, Boucher said and get our workloads up in back in the afternoon and Boucher said Sri Lanka’s up over the next two months. injury and will be given every , David Warner.