Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently hosting a two-match Test series against New Zealand. The first match ended in a draw and now both teams are locking horns in the second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi. New Zealand captain Tim Southee won the toss and decided to bat first. The pair of Devon Conway and Tom Latham started the proceedings for the visitors. Both the left-handed batters carried their good form into the second Test and gave their team a perfect start.
Both Latham and Conway scored half-centuries and also stitched a century opening partnership. Meanwhile, Pakistan bowlers looked clueless against the Kiwi opening pair as they conceded 134 runs before finally picking a wicket. This was not the first instance when batters piled up runs on this pitch. When England played Pakistan last month at the same venue, batters scored plenty of runs. Not just in Karachi, England batters smashed Pakistan bowlers all around the park in Rawalpindi too.
These flat pitches in Pakistan with little help for the bowlers attracted a lot of criticism. While Pakistan fans looked irked at the PCB, Iceland Cricket poked fun at the Karachi pitch. The Twitter admin of the cricket board posted a hilarious tweet, suggesting PCB introduces toll and tax the run. “Another completely untroubled century partnership on the Karachi road. They should introduce some tolls and tax the run,” read the tweet.
Coming to the second Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand, Naseem Shah provided the first breakthrough to the hosts as he trapped Tom Latham LBW. But apart from that, New Zealand have looked untroubled by the Pakistan bowling attack, with Devon Conway still firmly batting and nearing another Test century. The visitors scored a lot of runs in the first Test as well (612/9d in first innings).
