Pakistan 182-3 vs New Zealand's 403

DUBAI: Pakistan reached 182-3 at tea on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand in Dubai on Wednesday.

At the interval Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 57 and skipper Misbah-ul Haq not out on 23 after Pakistan lost the in-form Younis Khan for 72 in the post-lunch session.

Pakistan still trail New Zealand's first innings total of 403 by 221 runs.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test by 248 runs in Abu Dhabi. - AFP

Younis' fifty drives Pakistan in second Test

DUBAI: In-form batsman Younis Khan hit a solid half-century to help Pakistan reach 118-2 at lunch on the third day of the second Test in Dubai on Wednesday.

Younis hit New Zealand off-spinner Mark Craig for his fifth boundary to complete his 29th Test half-century to once again anchor Pakistan's batting after they resumed the day at 34-2.

Pakistan are chasing New Zealand's first innings total of 403.

At the interval Azhar Ali was 35 not out and Younis on 53 as the pair continued to repair the innings during their third wicket stand of 86 after Pakistan lost both the openers for just 32 runs.

Younis hit five boundaries and two big sixes, both off Craig, to continue his good form, which saw him hit a hundred in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

He also amassed 468 runs in the 2-0 white-wash of Australia in the preceding series, also played in United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test by 248 runs.

Ali had hit four boundaries during his 105-ball knock.

New Zealand spinners Ish Sodhi and Craig took a wicket apiece. (AFP)

Hafeez to get his bowling action tested in England

LAHORE: Pakistan’s ace all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez will travel to England next week to have his bowling action tested, Samaa reports.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Hafeez will return today from Dubai where Pakistan is playing a series against New Zealand.

Hafeez will then travel to England on November 24 to have a test of his bowling action.

Hafeez was reported by ICC match referee for a suspected illegal bowling action at the end of first cricket Test against New Zealand

Australia win toss, bat in third ODI v South Africa

CANBERA: Australia won the toss and chose to bat in the third one-day international against South Africa at Canberra's Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

The Australians left out spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell along with pacemen Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell Johnson.

Australia brought in left-arm quick Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and spinner Xavier Doherty.

The Proteas, who levelled the five-match series with a three-wicket win in Perth on Sunday, were unchanged.

Teams

Australia - George Bailey (capt), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Xavier Doherty, Josh Hazlewood.

South Africa - AB de Villiers (capt), Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Umpires: Simon Fry (AUS), Nigel Llong (ENG)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

South Africa might be spared Johnson factor in final ODIs

MELBOURNE: Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson may be rested after the second one-day international against South Africa to keep him fresh for the test series against India and next year's World Cup, the left-arm speedster said on Saturday.Johnson celebrated his ICC Cricketer of the Year award by removing both South Africa's openers in the first ODI in Perth on Friday as Australia cantered to a 32-run win.

"It's looking that way at the moment," Johnson told local radio station Triple M when asked if he might stay in his home-town Perth with family after Sunday's second ODI at the WACA.

"The thing that I guess I've learned over time, I'm 33 now and played a lot of one-day games for my country, which has been a great honour, and test matches as well.

"With what we've got coming up ... it's a lot of cricket.

"So for me to be at my best and bowling fast, I need to be as fresh as possible.

"It's hard, I want to play every game I can for my country, but at the same time I want to be playing at my best so whatever the selectors and CA (Cricket Australia) want me to do, I'll go by them."

Johnson's absence would open the door for a variety of pacemen, including 23-year-old South Australian Kane Richardson, who bowled throughout Australia's 3-0 ODI sweep of Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates but was omitted for Perth in favour of seamers Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
The player likely to be most pleased about Johnson's absence, however, might be Proteas all-rounder Ryan McLaren, whose arm was broken by a vicious ball from the rampaging left-armer during a one-day match in Zimbabwe in September.

Johnson also struck McLaren on the helmet during the test series in South Africa in March, leaving him bleeding from the ear.

McLaren continued to struggle with the short ball on Friday and was out for a duck after gloving a catch behind from a rising delivery by Coulter-Nile.

Johnson suggested whoever came in would be ready to target McLaren.

"Obviously with him at the moment he's struggled with the shorter ball and that's something that we'll keep doing," Johnson said.

"You've got to play to those guys' weaknesses and they're a good side, so whatever opportunities we get we've got to go with it.

"You do notice a bit of a change in the guys' faces when the ball is whistling through." - REUTERS

Pakistan spinners not unplayable, says Latham

DUBAI: New Zealand opener Tom Latham is convinced Pakistan's spinners are not unplayable, but his team will have to adapt quickly if they want to level the series in the second Test starting in Dubai on Monday.

Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by a big 248-run marging to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.New Zealand's travails against spin will not lessen at the Dubai stadium where the pitch is more likely to turn.

Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar took five wickets while leggie Yasir Shah took four in the Abu Dhabi Test.

That came on the back of Babar's 14 and Shah's 12 in the 2-0 rout of Australia that preceded the current series.

But Latham, who scored his maiden hundred in the first Test, was convinced Pakistan's spinners can be negated.

"Pakistan's spinners obviously have variations, the make up of their side is a left armer and a leg spinner and they do challenge us, but I dont think they are unplayable," Latham said after New Zealand's practice on Saturday.

Latham said New Zealand's tail put up a brave show against Pakistani spinners on the final day.

"We showed that on the morning of the fifth day and Ish (Sodhi) and Trent (Boult) dug in," said Latham of the tenth wicket stand of 54 between Sodhi and Boult.
Sodhi made a career-best 63 while Boult remained not out on 19.

"They played really well so if we get ourselves in those situations and keep them (spinners) out for long then we can be able to put a big total on the board," said Latham, whose father Rod also played for New Zealand.

"It's a good opportunity to right some wrongs, we have shown that in the past in the West Indies after losing the second Test and then come back by winning the third and win the series," said Latham of New Zealand's 2-1 win in June this year.

"The basic priciple is to apply ourselves and you go out and if the ball is reverse swinging or spinning then we have to apply ourselves and try to adapt to the situation as quickly as possible to those conditions," said Latham.

Pakistan have retained the same squad for the second Test, minus opener Ahmed Shehzad who was ruled out of the Test series due to a minor skull fracture after being hit by a bouncer from seamer Corey Anderson.

Shehzad made a career-best 176 in that knock.

The third and final Test will be played in Sharjah (November 26-30). The teams will also play two Twenty20s and five one-day internationals. (AFP)

Relentless Pakistan eye series win in Dubai

DUBAI: Pakistan will continue to attack a hapless New Zealand with spin as they eye a series win in the second Test starting in Dubai from Monday.

Pakistan inflicted a big 248-run defeat on the Kiwis in the first Test in Abu Dhabi for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and leggie Yasir Shah posing serious problems.Besides a spin web, paceman Rahat Ali, man-of-the-match for his six wickets in the game, reverse swung the ball to pile further problems on New Zealand batting, folded for 262 and 231 on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.

There seems no change in fortune for the tourists as the Dubai stadium pitch promises more help for spin and in turn multiplies problems for the struggling New Zealand batsmen.

New Zealand's best batsmen against spin, Kane Williamson (3 and 23) and Ross Taylor (nought and eight), were all at sea against Pakistani bowling.

Opener Rod Latham showed some grit against spin, scoring his maiden hundred in the first innings but that wasn't enough to thwart Pakistan.

Skipper Misbah-ul Haq said he was still not eyeing a white-wash, like his team did against Australia with a 2-0 scoreline just a week before the New Zealand series.

"We should just take it one by one and it's really important to just focus and do things right and if there are weak areas do that right," said Misbah, who captained his 15th Pakistani win, a national record.
"It is more important to put in a combined performance and then you get the desired result and I never believe in white-washes, we just focus on the next game and stick to basic rules come Monday."

Pakistan will miss opener Ahmed Shehzad, ruled out of the remaining two Tests after suffering a fractured skull when he was hit by a Corey Anderson's bouncer in the first Test, where he however made a career-best 176.

Experienced Taufeeq Umar, who played the last of his 43 Tests in July 2012, is likely to replace Shehzad.

The rest of the batting is expected to flourish after Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez scored centuries in the first Test.

Pakistan will be slightly worried over their fifth bowler Hafeez after he was reported for suspect action during the first Test.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum hoped his team would get a good start by winning the toss.

“The toss was a big factor for us, especially when you’re coming over here to play a team so familiar and red hot in these conditions. Hopefully I win the toss next game," said McCullum.

The third and final Test will be played in Sharjah from November 26-30.

The teams also play two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals.

Teams (from):

Pakistan: Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah.

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Hamish Rutherford, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi. (AFP)