PAK VS NZ - 2nd Test, New Zealand tour of Pakistan, 2022-23

Both captains lay their hands on the glittering trophy and walk away. Both teams will feel they could have won this series, but it was only fair that it ended at 0-0. Pakistan are now done with the 2023 World Test championships campaign. They will have a look back and repent at missing the chance of going through to the Oval finals in June. Home Tests against Australia, England and New Zealand, away tours of West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - Babar's men couldn't have hoped for anything more. But they stumbled everywhere barring Bangladesh and were swept aside even at home, bringing the curtains down. On the other hand, New Zealand's defence of the 2021 crown was shambolic, but they'll hope to at least end it well against Sri Lanka at home in March. The attention turns to 50-over cricket now - this is a World Cup year and both teams will look to begin their preparations. The first match will be at this very venue on 9th. Do join us for all the action. For now, cheers and bye..

Tim Southee | New Zealand captain - (On the final session) It came down to those last moments, great end to ten days of pretty tough toil. We got ourselves to push for a win but Sarfaraz played with intent and took the game away from us in the second session. Funny game, we saw in the end it was still up for grabs. Sodhi's comeback after not playing Tests for a long time and he bowled very well and we are thrilled for him, Bracewell also bowled very well. We knew from the nature of the surface that things could happen late in the Test, but the way Sarfaraz batted took the game away from us. He was very busy and he was the difference or else the game could have gone the other way round. (On his outing as captain) You approach every Test to win. Tough tour to play 10 days in the same ground. We will try to chip in with some wins in the ODI's.

Babar Azam | Pakistan captain - The plan was to be careful and assess according to the situation. Sarfaraz, Saud and Salman batted well. We just wanted to keep it simple and see where it takes us, we needed a big partnership and that's what we got in the middle-order. The game changed a bit after the dismissal of Salman Agha (we decided to pull the shutters down on the chase). As a captain, there have been quite some positives, we need to polish those well and continue doing well. It was a dream comeback from Sarfi bhai, we kept backing him and the way he did when the opportunity came, it's very heartening to see. This will lift his confidence immensely.

Sarfaraz Ahmed | Player of the Match | Player of the Series - It was a great comeback, I've been part of the team for a long while, but I was waiting for a chance in the playing XI. The management gave me a lot of confidence when I went out to bat, thankful for everyone for keeping faith in me. The plan was to play according to the merit of the ball, a few more runs here and there, the result could have been different. Batting in the 4th innings anywhere is a challenge and I think this is the best out of my four hundreds. Thankful for the support from the Karachi crowd, please keep supporting us in the upcoming ODI series as well

The umpires have another chat. Have Pakistan done enough to save the game? This is a big chat and it's handshakes all around - the match is drawn, the series is drawn. Jail break for the hosts with the last pair batting out 21 balls, but they weren't too far from winning this, just 15 runs away from a record chase in Karachi. New Zealand started the day as the favourites to win, they ended the day a wicket away - but in between, there was some riveting stuff, none more so from Sarfaraz Ahmed, this was his comeback series, this was the first series he was playing at home, and he ended the series as the highest run-scorer, with 3 fifties and the best reserved for the last day, a stunning 4th Test hundred. New Zealand thought they had done enough in the first session as they removed Imam, Babar and Masood. But then they ran into the Pakistani keeper who kept the scoreboard ticking with ones, twos and the occasional boundaries. At the other end, Saud Shakeel, who too had an impressive Test and made a century in the first innings kept blocking. But NZ had a door opened when the southpaw was brilliantly held at slip, but Sarfaraz and Salman steadied first and then threatened to run away with the game. But NZ kept fighting, broke the stand and ripped through the lower-order. Things looked bleak when Sarfaraz fell for 118, but the last pair managed to hold on.

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, no run, flighted delivery at the stumps, Abrar stays right back in defence

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, no run, appeal for LBW, but the impact was outside off - slid through just outside off and beat Abrar on the back-foot prod. But he was shuffling across and missed it, Southee's reviewing, think it'll just take some more time off the game. No bat and Abrar has been struck on the back-pad, onto ball-tracking and the impact is outside off - NOT OUT. NZ have lost all their reviews

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, 2 runs, very full from Sodhi, Abrar squeezes it back at the bowler who fumbles and allows a couple of runs

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, no run, nicely tossed up and spinning back into the right-hander, Abrar goes back on the block

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, no run, the wrong 'un, slower and on off, Abrar lunges well forward in defence

Ish Sodhi to Abrar Ahmed, no run, tossed up on off, Abrar leans across and turns it to the on-side

Right, what do we have here? 1 wicket, 17 runs, 4 overs. The umpires have a chat and the light is still good for one more Sodhi over

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, no run, tossed up just outside off, Naseem blocks it with soft hands

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, FOUR, more runs, all of a sudden Pakistan need only 17 more, flighted delivery outside off - Naseem leans forward and slices the drive over backward point, bounces away to the ropes

Back to over the wicket

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, no run, flighted delivery on off, Naseem leans well forward in defence

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, SIX, that's a clean strike, flighted delivery on off and Naseem swipes it high and over cover, sails all the way for the maximum

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, no run, Bracewell comes from round the wicket - drifts one on off, defended

M Bracewell to Naseem Shah, no run, tossed up on off, defended to the off-side

Another over played out, a bit of time spent as well