New Zealand's Patel plays havoc with Pakistan
Shares
ABU DHABI – Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq fought hard for Pakistan, but New Zealand held on to steal a four-run win in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.
Patel, the left-arm spinner, took five wickets including the final scalp of a resolute Ali to take New Zealand over the line by four runs.
It would be an understatement to say the Test was a cliffhanger, Pakistan losing four wickets after lunch in a manic period of play to slip from 147/4 to 155/8, which became 164/9 not long after. Ali and Mohammad Abbas then added 16 runs to get within one hit of sealing victory, but Patel struck the decisive blow, trapping Ali for 65.
Either side of a sublime 82-run stand between Ali and Shafiq, Pakistan lost wickets in a heap, Patel, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and pacer Neil Wagner doing most of the damage.
Pakistan began the day at 37 for no loss, but in no time were reduced to 48/3. The dangerous Imam-ul-Haq was the first to fall, pinned in front for 27 when Patel got one to spin in sharply.
