Match reports

Pakistan v New Zealand

At Hyderabad, October 23, 24, 25, 27

15-Apr-1978
At Hyderabad, October 23, 24, 25, 27. Pakistan won by ten wickets, finishing the match, as they did the first Test, with a day to spare. Pakistan's superiority was given extra emphasis by their having first use of a pitch which deteriorated with age.
Their domination of events began early, through a characteristically forceful 98 by Majid Khan. Their total was swelled further by centuries from Sadiq Mohammad -- whose innings was interrupted halfway by injury -- and Mushtaq Mohammad, and a brilliant 73 by Asif Iqbal.
Mushtaq declared just before tea on the second day and Sarfraz and Imran proceeded to make quick inroads, disposing of Howarth, Parker and Roberts for only 38 runs.
Turner and Burgess provided a brief recovery, but once they went, quite early on the third morning, the innings disintegrated rapidly. The Pakistan pace attack was effectively backed up by the leg-spin of Intikhab and Javed.
New Zealand followed on 254 runs behind and their hopes of fighting back in the second innings were damaged when Sarfraz promptly removed Turner. Defiant batting by Parker restricted New Zealand's losses to three wickets on the day, but the match was firmly in Pakistan's grasp.
Parker continued to battle gallantly on the fourth day and scored 82 before Mushtaq caught him at short-leg, off Javed. Roberts, Burgess and Lees, the wicket-keeper, all struggled valiantly, but none of them played a major innings and only a last-wicket stand of 31 compelled Pakistan to bat again -- although for only one run. The pitch was yielding turn quite freely and Intikhab and Javed were prominent in the devastation of New Zealand's second innings.