After Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam showed sparks of energy in drawing the Test at Seddon Park, the Kiwi seamers returned to crush Pakistan by taking the last 6 wickets in 11 overs. Pakistan lost 9 wickets in the final session after resisting impressively all through the day.
Pakistan conceded a huge deficit in the first innings despite Babar Azam making a fighting 90, and then let New Zealand get away in the second innings as they put up a huge score, courtesy a hundred by Ross Taylor. Once a 369 run target was set, the game was all in favour of the Kiwis.
However, Aslam and Ali made them toil with a fine opening partnership of 131 that spanned 60 overs. Once the Kiwis sent both the openers back to the pavillion, the rest crumbled like a pack of cards and New Zealand had a 2-0 victory over the no.2 Test nation.
Here are some stats from the match:
4 - Number of centuries by Ross Taylor in Hamilton. He is the only batsman to have scored more than two centuries at the venue. Taylor does not have more than two hundreds at any other venue.
274 - Pakistan's highest score in New Zealand in the fourth innings is the 274 they made in Wellington in 2003-04. The target they were set here, 369, has never been achieved by any visiting team in New Zealand; highest being 345 by West Indies.
0 - Number of times Pakistan has successfully chased a 300+ score outside Asia. Their highest and only run chase above 369 came against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2015 when they chased 377.
1985 - Pakistan's last Test series loss to New Zealand came in 1985. In the 12 series’ they have competed in since then, Pakistan have won seven and drawn five.
28.17 - Tom Latham's average in home Tests. He has only three half-centuries at home in 18 attempts. His away average is impressive and stands at 41.18.
7 - Number of half-centuries by Tom Latham this year. It is the joint highest for the year by any Kiwis batsman. Kane Williamson also has seven half-centuries.
11 - Ross Taylor has gone 11 consecutive innings without a Test half-century before making a hundred here at Seddon Park. His highest in these 11 innings was 37.
8 - Number of series’ since Pakistan last lost a Test series. Their last loss in a Test series came against Lanka in 2014.
138 - Biggest margin, in terms of runs, by which New Zealand has beat Pakistan in a Test match.
1 - This is the first time the Kiwis have won three consecutive Tests against Pakistan.
1 - This is the only time Pakistan has lost a Test match in which Imran Khan has played. Imran has played 8 Tests for Pakistan and has never seen his side lose a Test.
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