Williamson’s double century gave New Zealand a lead of 174 runs, Kane Williamson hit his fifth test double century and tailender Ish Sodhi made a career-stylish 65 as New Zealand pushed Pakistan onto the backfoot with a meaningful 174- run lead on the fourth day of the first test on Thursday.
New Zealand eventually ended Pakistan’s frustrating time on the field when captain Tim Southee declared at 612- 9 just after Williamson( 200 not out) lifted riddle incentive Abrar Ahmed over redundant cover for his 21st boundary and also raised his double hundred with a single after a marathon 10- hour knock that also featured a six.
Abrar, who took 17 lattices in two test matches against England before this month, finished with 5- 205 but not before Williamson and Sodhi had extended the lead with a 159- run seventh- gate stage on a slow turning gate.
Williamson and Sodhi dug in for well over11/2 hours into the alternate session after New Zealand proceeded on 440- 2 before Pakistan claimed three quick lattices through baits.
Both put on 79 runs in the first session and maundered with lot of determination indeed when Pakistan took the alternate new ball.
They stood establishment against the googlies and legspin of Abrar while leftarm incentive Nauman Ali( 3- 185) could n’t pose problem from the footprints.
Sodhi eventually drilled out soon after crossing his former test stylish of 63 – also against Pakistan in 2014 – while Southee and Neil Wagner followed without scoring.
Williamson was on 186 when last man Ajaz Patel walked by but went into the 190s with a straight six over the head of Abrar before ultimately reaching his alternate double hundred against Pakistan in a 395- ball knock.
It was Williamson’s first transnational score of over 100 in nearly two times since he made 238 against Pakistan at Christchurch in January 2021.
Williamson completely subsidized on two stumping chances beforehand in his innings and also doubly successfully capsized onfield lbw rulings against him through TV referrals as Pakistan regretted the missed openings.
Sodhi maundered with lot of tolerance and hit three boundaries against attachment Mir Hamza on the off side of the gate after Pakistan took the third new ball.
Hamza, also making a comeback after playing his only former test against Australia in 2018, could have had his first gate in the penultimate over before the break but Pakistan did n’t appeal as the television renewals suggested he got a thin outside edge of Sodhi’s club.
New Zealand’s lead was 24 when Nauman came near to dismissing Williamson on 116 in his alternate over of the day.
But Williamson snappily went for a successful TV referral against arbiter Aleem Dar’s lbw ruling after he missed a full- length delivery down the legside and the television renewals suggested the ball had pitched outside the off refuse.
