Abu Dhabi Test: Pakistan dismissed for 348 in first innings

ABU DHABI: Pakistan, replying to New Zealand´s first innings total of 274, were bowled out for 348 on the third day of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Azhar Ali hit 134 and Asad Shafiq made 104 and added 201 for the fourth wicket before New Zealand hit back with seven wickets for 62 runs.

That gave Pakistan a lead of 74 runs.

Debutant off-spinner Will Somerville was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with 4-75.

Azhar, whose last hundred was against the West Indies in Dominica in May 2017, took 210 balls to reach the three-figure mark.

He was followed by Shafiq who scored 104, taking Pakistan, past New Zealand’s first inning score of 274.

Resuming at 139-3, Azhar hit Trent Boult for a boundary off the first ball of the day and then smacked spinner Ajaz Patel for another to enter the eighties.

Boult has figures of 2-54 while fellow paceman Tim Southee has taken 1-39.

The three-match series is tied at 1-1 after New Zealand won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by four runs before Pakistan bounced back with an innings and 16-run win in the second in Dubai.