KARACHI: Kane Williamson hit his fifth Check double century and tailender Ish Sodhi made a career-best 65 as New Zealand pushed Pakistan onto the backfoot with a significant 174-run lead on the fourth day of the primary Check on Thursday.
New Zealand lastly ended Pakistan’s irritating time on the sector when captain Tim Southee declared at 612-9 simply after Williamson (200 not out) lifted thriller spinner Abrar Ahmed over additional cowl for his twenty first boundary after which raised his double hundred with a single after a marathon 10-hour knock that additionally featured a six.
Abrar, who took 17 wickets in two Check matches towards England earlier this month, completed with 5-205 however not earlier than Williamson and Sodhi had prolonged the lead with a 159-run seventh-wicket stand on a gradual turning wicket.
Williamson and Sodhi dug in for effectively over 1 1/2 hours into the second session after New Zealand resumed on 440-2 earlier than Pakistan claimed three fast wickets by means of spinners.
Each placed on 79 runs within the first session and batted with lots of willpower even when Pakistan took the second new ball. They stood agency towards the googlies and legspin of Abrar whereas left-arm spinner Nauman Ali (3-185) couldn’t pose an issue from the footmarks.
Sodhi lastly holed out quickly after crossing his earlier Check better of 63 – additionally towards Pakistan in 2014 – whereas Southee and Neil Wagner adopted with out scoring.
Williamson was on 186 when final man Ajaz Patel walked in however went into the 190s with a straight six over the top of Abrar earlier than finally reaching his second double hundred towards Pakistan in a 395-ball knock.
It was Williamson’s first worldwide rating of over 100 in nearly two years since he made 238 towards Pakistan at Christchurch in January 2021.
Williamson totally capitalized on two stumping possibilities early in his innings and in addition twice efficiently overturned on-field lbw rulings towards him by means of tv referrals as Pakistan rued the missed alternatives.
Sodhi batted with lots of persistence and hit three boundaries towards seamer Mir Hamza on the off facet of the wicket after Pakistan took the third new ball.
Hamza, additionally making a comeback after enjoying his solely earlier Check towards Australia in 2018, might have had his first wicket within the penultimate over earlier than the break however Pakistan didn’t attraction because the TV replays instructed he bought a skinny outdoors fringe of Sodhi’s bat.
New Zealand’s lead was 24 when Nauman got here near dismissing Williamson on 116 in his second over of the day.
However Williamson rapidly went for a profitable tv referral towards umpire Aleem Dar’s lbw ruling after he missed a full-length supply down the legside and the TV replays instructed the ball had pitched outdoors the off stump.