Pakistan and New Zealand are ready to clash in the second Test of the three-match series, which will begin from Saturday in Dubai. The visitors will enter in the contest with advantage after winning the first Test in Abu Dhabi by just four runs in spectacular manner.
After an impressive performance in the series opener, there are no major changes expected in the final XI which means in the batting department, the Black Caps will be once again relying on captain Kane Williamson to lead from the front. He will have support of middle-order batsman Ross Taylor and in-form BJ Watling, Henry Nicholls. In the bowling department, Kiwis will be relying on the spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel to repeat the heroics of the previous match.
On the other hand, the Men in Green will enter in the contest bitterly disappointed from the defeat in Abu Dhabi, where they lost form a winning situation. In the batting department, the Green Caps will once again look towards the experienced duo of Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali to score bulk of the runs, whereas there will be added pressure on captain Sarfraz Ahmed to increase his contribution with the bat for the team. In the bowling department, the reliance will be on pacers Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali and leg-spinner Yasir Shah to provide major breakthroughs. It will be interesting to see if the home side will look to go in with one change where young left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistan and New Zealand are ready to clash in the second Test of the three-match series, which will begin from Saturday in Dubai. The visitors will enter in the contest with advantage after winning the first Test in Abu Dhabi by just four runs in spectacular manner.
After an impressive performance in the series opener, there are no major changes expected in the final XI which means in the batting department, the Black Caps will be once again relying on captain Kane Williamson to lead from the front. He will have support of middle-order batsman Ross Taylor and in-form BJ Watling, Henry Nicholls. In the bowling department, Kiwis will be relying on the spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel to repeat the heroics of the previous match.
On the other hand, the Men in Green will enter in the contest bitterly disappointed from the defeat in Abu Dhabi, where they lost form a winning situation. In the batting department, the Green Caps will once again look towards the experienced duo of Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali to score bulk of the runs, whereas there will be added pressure on captain Sarfraz Ahmed to increase his contribution with the bat for the team. In the bowling department, the reliance will be on pacers Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali and leg-spinner Yasir Shah to provide major breakthroughs. It will be interesting to see if the home side will look to go in with one change where young left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi is likely to replace off-spinner Bilal Asif.
Key Players:
Mohammad Hafeez – 9.5 Cr
First in the list of key players features Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez. The 38-year-old had a disappointing outing in the first Test, both with bat and ball and will be eager to put a much better show in the match which is starting from Saturday. Valued at 9.5 Cr, Hafeez might not be a bad player to bat on as he has an exceptional record while playing in Dubai, where he averages 42.92 with the bat and also has five wickets to his name.
Kane Williamson – 10.5 Cr
Second in the list features New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. The 28-year-old had a decent outing in the first match in difficult conditions as he scored 100 runs in two innings. It was the kind of performance which shows why Williamson is the player to have in your team for the second Test. Valued at 10.5 Cr, Williamson has represented the Black Caps in 66 Tests till now, where he has scored 5,438 runs at an average of 50.35.
Yasir Shah – 9.5 Cr
Last in the list features Pakistan's leg-spinner Yasir Shah. The right-arm leggie was the Men in Green's best bowler on show in the Abu Dhabi Test where he claimed eight wickets. Valued at 9.5 Cr, Shah showed in the last match that he is very close to his best form which means he is likely to trouble the opposition's batting lineup once again in Dubai. The 32-year-old till now has represented Pakistan in 31 Tests, where he has 181 wickets at an average of 29.39.
