ABU DHABI: New Zealand continued to bat on day four of the of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Resuming at 26-2, New Zealand lost Ross Taylor who cracked three of his four boundaries in one over from paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi before finally hooking the same bowler into the hands of Bilal Asif for 22.
But the day started with Yasir’s world record.
The 32-year-old trapped nightwatchman Will Somerville leg before for four — his second wicket of New Zealand´s second innings — to reach the milestone in his 33rd Test, beating Australian leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett’s record of 36 Tests set against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1936.
Yasir’s strike left New Zealand fighting to save both the match in Abu Dhabi, and the series — currently tied at 1-1 — as they reached 112-4 at lunch on the fourth day.
Skipper Kane Williamson was batting on a pugnacious 55 for his 29th fifty — and second in the match 1 and with him Henry Nicholls unbeaten on a chancy 20, as New Zealand led by 36 runs with six wickets intact.
The two have added 52 runs for the fifth wicket but Nicholls was lucky to overturn a leg-before decision off Yasir on nine, and survived two other appeals.
On day three, centuries by Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq helped Pakistan overhaul New Zealand’s total of 274 but a lower-order collapse saw their lead restricted to 74 on day three in Abu Dhabi.
The men in green nevertheless regained control of the match by picking up two quick New Zealand wickets to leave them in trouble at 26-2 in 14 overs at close of play.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who scored a fighting 89 in the first innings, was batting on 14 with night-watchman William Somerville on one with the visitors trailing by 48.
New Zealand won the opening test in Abu Dhabi by four runs before Pakistan squared the three-match series with victory in the second test in Dubai by an innings and 16 runs.
