Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail lift Pakistan on topsy-turvy day

Pakistan ended with 207 runs on the board losing four wickets in the process against New Zealand in Dubai on Saturday.

Riding on identical scores of 81 from the bats of former skipper Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail, Pakistan reached a safe score after they were reduced to 25/2 at one stage with openers Mohammad Hafeez and Imam-Ul-Haq back inside the pavilion, interestingly with scores of 9.

Burly all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme was the lock of the bowlers with two wickets as he made life difficult for the Pakistan batsmen initially with probing lines outside the off-stump that got rid of both Hafeez and Imam-Ul-Haq.

Not just their score but everything–from the bowler to the catcher and even the pattern of dismissal, everything was the same for both the Pakistan openers.

The innings which looked to go downhill following the twin dismissals but Ali and Sohail did the repair work with a 126-run stand that lifted the team out of trouble.

Just when it looked as if the innings had got the impetus it needed, Ali was run-out

 But Sohail kept the scoreboard ticking with Asad Shafiq before the latter fell to Ajaz Patel, who had single-handedly derailed the Pakistan innings in the last Test match.

On day two, the hosts would hope that Sohail continues to build on his innings in the company of Babar Azam who was unbeaten at stumps on 14.

Brief score: Stumps Pakistan 207 for 4 (Azhar 81, Sohail 81*, de Grandhomme 2-31) v New Zealand