ABU DHABI // Eleven Test days in a row of Pakistan not putting a foot wrong, a top order floating in a bubble of calm, plus 10 hundreds (and a 96) in their past two Tests and one innings yesterday.
This, clearly, is what cricket’s Twilight Zone looks like.
It is a ruthless Pakistan that has not been seen for years, and it is a little unnerving. As Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez helped Pakistan to 269 for one on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand, fans could only wonder when it might go all wrong.
Because it will, right? It has to, because it always does.
Some way will be found to lose some more players, wipe out the board or fall head-first into some off-field controversy.
Until then, all anyone can do is cherish the kind of performances they are putting together right now. They began breaking records for fun against Australia and they posted another at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, where, alas, it was not such a big deal.
The 178-run opening stand Hafeez and Shehzad put on was Pakistan’s highest for that wicket against New Zealand.
More than the record, though, it was important in that it set the tone for the series. Pakistan, the partnership said, were not going to lessen their intensity.
For much of it, hundreds looked certain for both. Hafeez, in particular, needed one, having gone 20 innings coming into the Test without one.
But 96 will go some way to soothe some of the criticism of his role as opener.
How he could do with Shehzad’s numbers, with the opener cruising to a third Test hundred of the year and fifth in all international cricket.
He is unbeaten on 126. As openers go for Pakistan, a pretty poor legacy, he is probably already a contender for that Hall of Fame. “I’ve been working really hard,” he said.
“I got back [into the Pakistan side] a year ago, but always wanted to play Test cricket and I was working really hard for it. I had a chance against Sri Lanka and I was as determined then as I am now, because I have a lot to prove.”
New Zealand began well.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult both found more swing in their opening spells than Australia did all series.
Even their spinners, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, looked a threat, but once but BJ Watling missed a comfortable chance to stump Shehzad – when he was at 16 – the tenor of the match began to change. There were a couple of half-chances, but as consolation, they did not let Pakistan get away entirely.
“It was a very easy-paced wicket and when you bowled in the right areas, batsmen had time to adjust,” Ross Taylor said.
“We need to find a way to keep denying them and not scoring over three an over or we need to take wickets.
“We stuck to our plans, but they negated those well. Ish deserved more than he got and Craig toiled hard as well, but didn’t get the rewards.”
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
The National’s verdict
The new ball is still only 10 overs old, so New Zealand will hope they can eke out some early wickets on the second morning. Tim Southee and Trent Boult troubled Ahmed Shehzad early in the morning and later in the afternoon, and if one of the overnight pair falls, the day could get interesting. The problem is both Shehzad and Azhar Ali are well-set, and in some very good form. If they bat out that first hour, then this could turn into two very long days in the field for New Zealand. And it could then follow the formula of Pakistan’s wins against Australia. Bat big, bat long and tweak out the batsmen with spin. Ross Taylor reckons the pitch will take greater turn as the game progresses. There are already some cracks at one end and they are expected to widen.
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