Azhar, Aslam give Pakistan outside chance

Tea: Pakistan 216 and 158 for 1 (Aslam 75*, Azam 16*) need another 211 runs to beat New Zealand 271 and 313 for 5 decLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A 131-run opening stand between Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali, spanning 60 overs, ensured that a draw was the likeliest result of the Hamilton Test, though Pakistan gave the impression as tea approached that they had not ruled out a tilt at their improbable target. After the drinks break of the middle session, they scored 51 in 13 overs, leaving them 158 for 1 at tea, needing a further 211 from a minimum of 34 overs.

Perhaps sensing that Pakistan, 1-0 down in the series, would try and chase the game, New Zealand set defensive fields even when Azhar and Aslam were scoring less than two runs an over. With the pitch offering the bowlers little help apart from occasional inconsistent bounce – which grew more infrequent as the ball aged – Kane Williamson perhaps felt his best chance of getting wickets was from batsmen making mistakes. Azhar fell in this manner for 58, dragging an attempted cover drive off Mitchell Santner back onto his stumps, but New Zealand tasted no other success in the first two sessions.

They lost a significant chance to pick up a wicket in the penultimate over before lunch, when Simon Fry turned down Colin de Grandhomme’s lbw appeal down against Aslam. Williamson asked for a review, but his request was turned down since he had taken too long to make it. Replays suggested the ball, delivered from around the wicket, had struck the left-handed Aslam’s pad in line with off stump and …

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