Pakistan in New Zealand, 2016

The cricketing season is set to get intense with Pakistan touring New Zealand for a two-Test series. The first of the two Tests begins Thursday, November 17 at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Both the teams have had a contrasting fortune of late. While Pakistan have tasted success, briefly staying at the top of the ICC Test rankings as the No.1 Test team in the world before being toppled by Virat Kohli and Co., New Zealand have had a poor time. They lost the two-Test series in South Africa in August this year before going down to India recently. The series against India ended in a clean sweep for them, as they lost all the three Tests.

Pakistan, on the other hand, are coming on the back of a brilliant 2-2 draw against England in England. It is the same series which gave them the No.1 ranking and Misbah-ul-Haq the opportunity to place his hands on the ICC Test mace. After the England series, they beat West Indies in their adopted home United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a keenly contested series which ended on the scoreline 2-1 in their favour. The young side under the inspirational leadership of Misbah has grown in confidence and a tour of New Zealand followed by the one of Australia will be a litmus test for them.

They have landed in the tiny Australian neighbour as a confident unit. While Misbah and Younis Khan continue to guide the side with their experience, the likes of Mohammad Aamer, Yasir Shah, Sarfraz Ahmed, Asad Shafiq and young Babar Azam promise a lot for the future. The eyes shall be on Aamer, who made an international comeback earlier this year from the same country, and Azam, who recently slammed three back-to-back hundreds against the West Indies in the One-Day International (ODI) series and followed it up with an impressive Test debut (69 and 21 runs) against the same side.

New Zealand, the hosts of the two-match series, have plenty to worry about ahead of the series. After a string of losses, they are under tremendous pressure to do well at home. A lot of places in the Test team were under serious consideration. Martin Guptill, who was not a certain starter for India Tests in the first place, did little in the three-Test series to make a case for Pakistan Tests. He was rightly dropped after a dismal run of scores and replaced by the Indian-born Jeet Raval, who should have ideally played against India too.

That means Raval will make his delayed debut against Pakistan in Christchurch. Other changes New Zealand made to their squad was calling another uncapped player all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme and Todd Astle. The latter earned a recall four years after playing his solitary Test. Astle is a leg-spinner who can be a decent batsman while Grandhomme is a medium-pace bowling all-rounder who has played an ODI and four T20Is for his adopted country four years back in 2012. Grandhomme is of Zimbabwean origin and left the country of his birth in 2006 to make a cricket career in New Zealand.

The other players New Zealand have dropped from the squad for India Tests besides Guptill are Doug Bracewell, Jeetan Patel, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig. Keeping the conditions in their country in mind, the spin brigade has been either dropped or rested.

Coming to this series, Pakistan will kick-start their tour with a four-day practice match against the New Zealand ‘A’ side from Friday, November 11 at the Saxton Oval in Nelson. The first Test at Christchurch will be followed by the second and the final Test of the series at the Seddon Park in Hamilton from November 25.

Schedule

Fri, Nov 25, 2016 Tue, Nov 29, 2016 ( 03:30 IST )

New Zealand vs Pakistan, Live Cricket Score, 2nd Test match
at Seddon Park, Hamilton
Live Cricket Score, 2nd Test match

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 138 runs
Thu, Nov 17, 2016 Sun, Nov 20, 2016 ( 03:30 IST )

New Zealand vs Pakistan, Live Cricket Score, 1st Test match
at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Live Cricket Score, 1st Test match

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 8 wickets

FEATURES

NZ's series win against PAK after 31 years, visitor's dramatic collapse and other compelling stats highlights from 2nd Test at Hamilton
Abhishek Kumar November 29, 2016 3:35 PM IST
16th Test ton for Ross Taylor: He is only one hundred away from levelling with Crowe in terms of most Test tons by a New
Wicketless Yasir, NZ's biggest win over PAK at home and other stats highlights from 1st Test
Abhishek Kumar November 20, 2016 2:08 PM IST
4 catches taken by debutant Jeet Raval are the most by any New Zealand fielder on debut at home.
Clinical efficiency of seamers helps New Zealand ‘bounce’ back to winning ways in familiar conditions
Chinmay Jawalekar November 20, 2016 1:27 PM IST
Pakistani batsmen have invariably struggled against bounce, seam and swing. So that had to be the recipe for New Zealand’s success at the Hagley Oval.
NZ vs PAK, 1st Test: Key clashes from series opener
Aditya Sahay November 16, 2016 8:47 PM IST
Pakistan side, under the inspirational leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq, will have another task in hand when they face off Kane Williamson's New Zealand before touring Australia
New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test: Likely XI for Misbah-ul-Haq & Co
Pramod Ananth November 16, 2016 8:33 PM IST
Pakistan have been in good form in the longest format and will look to dominate New Zealand as well.

Pakistan vs Australia: Steven Smith says, hosts pace attack will test tourist’s batsmen
Agence France-Presse December 14, 2016 12:36 PM IST
Steven Smith has yet to finalise his team and hasn't ruled out playing with four pacemen at the expense of spinner Nathan Lyon, but he
ICC Test Rankings: PAK slips to 4th after losing to NZ
Press Releases November 29, 2016 2:35 PM IST
Pakistan has slipped from second to the fourth position in the ICC Test Team Rankings after its 2-0 loss to New Zealand.
PAK’s sensational collapse hands NZ 138-run win in 2nd Test
CricketCountry Staff November 29, 2016 11:26 AM IST
New Zealand's 2-0 win over Pakistan is Kane Williamson's first series win as captain at home.

New Zealand vs Pakistan 2nd Test at Hamilton: Photos
CricketCountry Staff November 27, 2016 11:49 AM IST
Azhar Ali is Pakistan's stand-in skipper for Misbah-ul-Haq for this Test against New Zealand.
Photos: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st Test at Christchurch
CricketCountry Staff November 20, 2016 10:23 AM IST
Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson's half century saw New Zealand snap a four-Test losing streak as they beat Pakistan by 8 wickets on Sunday in the