Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd Test at Sharjah, , Nov 26 2014 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
3rd Test, Sharjah, November 26 - 30, 2014, New Zealand tour of United Arab Emirates
351 & 259

New Zealand won by an innings and 80 runs

Player Of The Match
7/94, 65 & 3/109
mark-craig
Player Of The Series
418 runs • 4 wkts
mohammad-hafeez
New
PAK 2nd Innings
Full commentary

That is all we have for you. You can relive the day's play through Devashish Fuloria's report, and perhaps some press conferences in due time. But for now, this is Alagappan Muthu signing off

"Definitely, really tough circumstances to play the Test," says Brendon McCullum. "Our thoughts were elsewhere. Proud of the guys for sticking together. I think the tone was set with the way we bowled on the second morning. They were 280 for 3, we were behind the eight ball and for us to take seven wickets for not a lot of runs. The circumstances in Australia made us go out there and try and enjoy whatever we could from the game. And it obviously gave a huge chance to set the Test up. Not an easy place to tour, we watched the Aussie series keenly. We were destroeyed in the first Test. We're pleased to come back like this and hopefully we do well in the one-day series and with the world cup around the corner. I think it's his last Test match, he said he could do more if his workload was like this Test. It's great to have his family here, he's been a great for us and we love him to bits"

Mark Craig is the Man of the Match for his 10 wickets in the Test, and a fifty. "Big turnaround from the first Test. It was nice. Didn't really think, it was hard being out there playing. Boys just tried to stick together and wickets just happened. Not thinking about bowling and just letting the ball go was a big help" Mohammad Hafeez is the Man of the Series

"After starting very well during the first day, whatever happened in the second day that was really difficult to concentrate. I was struggling to concentrate, it was really difficult to bat on and carry on," Misbah-ul-Haq says, "The way we played Test cricket was really awesome. Only in this Test match, one bad day and we were totally out of it. Full credit to New Zealand, they out played us in the way they batted. You lose some focus, little loss in concentration and things happen and once momentum goes it is difficult to turn it back. Lot of positives, specially in bowling and batting. In these two series the way everyone scored runs and got hundreds, today's knock from Asad, that hundred was a big plus as well. It's difficult to say anything at the moment, obviously I've been thinking about my future. A big event is coming up, I'm focussing on the World Cup and I'm really thinking about what to do after that. Lets see what I decide in the next couple of months"

It's been an emotional week in cricket, the second day was abandoned and McCullum read a teary-eyed tribute to Phillip Hughes on television yesterday. It almost seemed like his double-century was fueled by angst. There was barely any celebrations when he reached the landmarks he did. This time though there was a happy smile on his face as he embraced his team-mates after squaring the series 1-1

4.20 pm Hugs all around for New Zealand. They've played the game they knew they could, and have beaten Pakistan on their adopted turf in four days. Daniel Vettori leads the team off the ground in what might well be his final Test. And his family's in the crowd, clapping heartily. Trent Boult made the early breakthroughs with the new ball, and then the spinners managed to keep the Pakistan middle-order silent. Well, all except Asad Shafiq who made a top-class century, full off authoritative strikes down the ground and rasping cuts behind point.

Mohsin: "in his short career, Rahit ali Inlvolved in 3, 50 Partnerships. and manage to give support to Sarfraz and Shafiq to score hundreds and Younis to score a double."

Sooryanarayanan: "With this win I've gotta say that this Kiwi team is bound for great things...... Baz as a skipper has been nothing less than outstanding........The world's got to watch out for a great team in the making.........."

Rishabh: "The turning point was the spin veteran, Vettori getting the runs veteran Younis Khan in the 1st innings. Was downhill since then for Pak. Heartbreaking to see them in the twilight of their careers..."

63.3
W
Craig to Rahat Ali, OUT

catch it, it's gone straight up and Brendon McCullum takes the catch that ends this Test and gives Mark Craig a 10 wickets for the match. Rahat goes for a low-percentage slog-sweep and gets a top edge and offers a simple catch

Rahat Ali c McCullum b Craig 6 (42b 1x4 0x6 56m) SR: 14.28
63.2
Craig to Rahat Ali, no run

tossed up outside off, Rahat eases it towards point

63.1
Craig to Rahat Ali, no run

flighted outside off, Rahat pushes forward to block

end of over 635 runs • 1 wicket
PAK: 259/9CRR: 4.11 
Zulfiqar Babar0 (2b)
Rahat Ali6 (39b 1x4)
Trent Boult 15-6-38-4
Ish Sodhi 12-0-82-2
62.6
Boult to Babar, no run

looks for the yorker, but it is a few inches outside off. Zulfiqar tries to get his bat down in time but doesn't. Beaten outside off

62.5
Boult to Babar, no run

fuller delivery outside off, driven through point with an open face

62.4
1
Boult to Rahat Ali, 1 run

clipped a shortish delivery towards deep square leg

62.3
Boult to Rahat Ali, no run

full and wide outside off, not bothered with

Zulfiqar Babar is at the non-strikers' end because the batsmen crossed

62.2
W
Boult to Shafiq, OUT

taken in the deep! Boult has his 99th Test wicket, and the NZ players go up to the departing Shafiq to congratulate him. It was a short ball that didn't allow him the room to swing his arms. Hits it on the splice and it soars up, Craig does well running in from the midwicket boundary and pouching that

Asad Shafiq c Craig b Boult 137 (148b 18x4 6x6 183m) SR: 92.56
62.1
4
Boult to Shafiq, FOUR runs

pace or spin, if there is room given Shafiq was going for it. Cleared his front leg and belted the length ball over extra cover

end of over 625 runs
PAK: 254/8CRR: 4.09 
Rahat Ali5 (37b 1x4)
Asad Shafiq133 (146b 17x4 6x6)
Ish Sodhi 12-0-82-2
Trent Boult 14-6-33-3

Zulfiqar Khan: "Asad has scored exactly 100 runs with boundries. "

61.6
Sodhi to Rahat Ali, no run

good length ball on off stump, kept out by the tailender

61.5
Sodhi to Rahat Ali, no run

tossed up on leg stump, Rahat gets a thick inside edge towards square leg

61.4
1
Sodhi to Shafiq, 1 run

nudges a length ball off his pads for a single through the vacant midwicket region

61.3
Sodhi to Shafiq, no run

flatter delivery on leg stump, kept out

61.2
4
Sodhi to Shafiq, FOUR runs

sees the ball given some air and Shafiq has launched it with the turn over extra cover. Every time he has hit in the air, he's more or less found the gap. And that brings up a career best score

Five men on the boundary, three around the bat

61.1
Sodhi to Shafiq, no run

flighted on off stump, defended

end of over 617 runs
PAK: 249/8CRR: 4.08 
Rahat Ali5 (35b 1x4)
Asad Shafiq128 (142b 16x4 6x6)
Trent Boult 14-6-33-3
Ish Sodhi 11-0-77-2
60.6
Boult to Rahat Ali, no run

good length ball outside off, sliced away to point

Ash: "Boys...speaking of records...was thinking the number of different batsman to hit a six in the kiwi innings(7) might be a record as we'll" Just short of it actually. It was the second instance of seven batsman hitting a at least one six in the same Test innings.

happened once before in this game

60.5
Boult to Rahat Ali, no run

fuller delivery outside off, Rahat drives to mid-on

60.4
1
Boult to Shafiq, 1 run

fired in full on leg stump, Shafiq has clipped it to deep fine leg

60.3
6
Boult to Shafiq, SIX runs

goes for a bouncer and Shafiq swivels on the back foot and unleashes a hook which soars over square leg

60.2
Boult to Shafiq, no run

length on off stump, Shafiq skews it away to deep midwicket and refuses the single on offer

60.1
Boult to Shafiq, no run

full on off stump, pushed back towards mid-off

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