PAK VS NZ - 2nd Test, Pakistan v New Zealand in UAE, 2018

So the good Pakistan turned up today. It may have taken nearly five hours, but when Yasir Shah does 70% of the work himself, it's rare anybody could've denied him any longer. Before Yasiraaaa stops reverberating in our ears, it's time we get out. On behalf of all of us - Vineet Anantharaman, Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Nikhil Jadhav, Akshay Maanay and our scorer Naga - until the decider comes along, ta ta!!

Sarfraz Ahmed | PAK skip: A great comeback from the boys. You need to credit the batsmen - Haris, Azhar and Babar - who set the platform for us. The wicket has changed a lot in Dubai and it was important to score big; it isn't easy to bat and is important to take your time when you bat. Yasir Shah's spell was one of the best I have ever seen in my four-year Test career. We had a meeting in Abu Dhabi after the match where we spoke that we would leave everything then and there. The batsmen then stepped up and scored big runs and we declared at a point where we had a chance to bowl four-five overs to them. But then the credit must go to Yasir and Hasan Ali, who gave good support from the other end. In our four Test matches here, two bowlers have performed in each match, but we would like to have an extra fast bowler going into the next series to partner Abbas in overseas conditions. Bilal is still learning and improving day by day. There is pressure in every series, but given how the pitches have become these days, it isn't an advantage for anyone. The pitch in Abu Dhabi is such that there is a lot of moisture in the wicket, so even if you win the toss it gets tricky; but we'll go there and have a look.

Kane Williamson | NZ skip: There were great improvements with the bat in the second innings but we were just put out by Yasir in the first innings. He bowled in some very, very demanding areas, but at the same time we do need to be better in that area. There was some help for the spinners and they took full advantage of it. They batted for two days and brought it to a stage where there was help for their spinners. It is about improving and the wicket had aged a little bit more; so to get 300 was an improvement batting last. But the damage was done in that one session when we lost seven wickets. They set it up well with the bat to get to 400 in two days. They played to the conditions really nicely. Yasir bowled a number of very good deliveries, he's an exceptional bowler and a great challenge to face. We'll obviously be facing all of them again so it is important that we learn some lessons quickly. It was a one-sided looking match and we need to look to Abu Dhabi now to get back in the series.

Yasir Shah | MoM: I got to know yesterday that Imran Khan had the most wickets in a Test match. After my injury, this was my first Man of the Match award and I was only looking to focus on my line and lengths. In the earlier series I didn't have my rhythm properly. I don't think I have bowled better, the wicket was helping with the bounce and break. We were disappointed after the first match and we wanted to come back hard. We got them out for 90, but they fought back well in the next innings. The pitch had eased out too, it wasn't turning or breaking, but we did well to get them out. I am working on my googly and it is coming out well and hopefully I'll improve day by day.

Stats, as everyone knows, dug out by Deepu Narayanan

Most wickets after 32 Tests:
195 YASIR SHAH
189 Syd Barnes (27 Tests)
187 Waqar Younis
176 R Ashwin
172 Clarrie Grimmett
171 Denis Lillee

Best match figures for Pakistan in Tests:
14/116 Imran Khan vs SL, Lahore, 1982
14/184 YASIR SHAH vs NZ, Dubai, 2018*
13/101 Abdul Qadir vs Eng, Lahore, 1987
13/114 Fazal Mahmood vs Aus, Karachi, 1956
13/135 Waqar Younis vs Zim, Karachi, 1993

Best match figures in UAE in Tests:
14/184 YASIR SHAH vs NZ, Dubai, 2018*
11/136 R Herath vs Pak, Abu Dhabi, 2017
10/95 Mohammad Abbas vs Aus, Abu Dhabi, 2018
10/97 Saeed Ajmal vs Eng, Dubai, 2012

Best match figures vs NZ in Tests:
14/184 YASIR SHAH, Dubai, 2018*
13/55 C Walsh, Wellington, 1995
13/140 R Ashwin, Indore, 2016
12/85 R Ashwin, Hyderabad, 2012

For Pakistan, is it fair to say it was a one-man show? Haris Sohail and Babar Azam made slow but useful hundreds, there was a sportive declaration at the end of Day 2, but no one could have dreamt of the mayhem that Day 3 would bring - it started with rain, the superb drainage system meant the players were on the field, 45 minutes after the deluge stopped and then it was Yasir and no one else. In a sensational burst, he grabbed 8 for 41 and New Zealand were shot down for the lowest ever score by a team in UAE. The match was decided right there and the rest was mere formality.

Yasir has the ball in his hands and he shows it towards the raucous section of the crowd in Dubai. We are now set for a decider in Abu Dhabi, with both teams capable of winning the series. It was always going to be tough for the visitors, once they had been bundled out for 90 in the first innings. Tom Latham and Ross Taylor gave them hope, both made fifties, but didn't convert it into a big hundred. Henry Nicholls batted stubbornly, so did BJ Watling, but the writing was always on the wall. Once the wicket-keeper fell, it was always when and not if. At the end of it, New Zealand have been bowled out for 312, losing by an innings and 16 runs, thereby infusing new life into Pakistan and this series.

Yasir Shah to Boult, out Caught by Sarfraz!! Yasir has 14 and Pakistan have levelled the series at 1-1. He's jumping with joy, so are the others and the celebrations will go all night in Dubai. Magnificent performance from the champion leg-spinner, his best-ever match haul in Tests. Third-best by any leg-spinner in the history of the game. Coming to the ball, it was the leg-break and Boult didn't read it, pushed forward with hope, doesn't cover for the turn and the ball grazed the outside edge. Sarfraz does the rest and that's that for this match. Boult c Sarfraz b Yasir Shah 0(2)

Yasir Shah to Boult, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Yasir Shah to Boult, no run, pushed through flatter and quicker, Boult gets half-forward and pushes it to mid-on

Yasir Shah to Ajaz Patel, 1 run, tossed up and spinning into Ajaz's pads, flicked with the turn and past mid-wicket for a single

Trent Boult, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Yasir Shah to Wagner, out Caught by Hasan Ali!! Five wickets for Yasir and 13 for the match, he does the sajda and then joins in the celebrations. This was the attempted wrong 'un, Wagner was setting himself up for the slog-sweep, was playing against the turn and that was always a gamble, gets it low of the bat, plenty of height, but no distance. Hasan runs in from deep mid-wicket, sets himself up for the catch and holds on. Pakistan are one wicket away from levelling the series. Wagner c Hasan Ali b Yasir Shah 10(34)

Yasir Shah to Wagner, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Yasir Shah to Wagner, no run, flighted delivery at the stumps, Wagner covers the stumps and then defends it to the on-side

Ishwar: @shivaraj: Scoring more than 3 times of NZ's first innings score is not difficult.

Hasan Ali to Ajaz Patel, no run, full and a hint of tail back into the left-hander, Ajaz doesn't get hold of the drive and finds mid-off