New Zealand-Pakistan second Test ends in thrilling draw after Sarfaraz Ahmed's ton

Karachi [Pakistan], January 6 (ANI): Pakistan's last wicket partnership between Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed survived 21 balls in fading light while Sarfaraz Ahmed slammed a fighting hundred to deny New Zealand a victory in the second Test here on Friday.
Pakistan drew a Test match with one wicket remaining for the second time in their history, as the ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand ended in a draw with no team winning a match.
Sarfaraz Ahmed scored the highest for the hosts at 118 while spinner Michael Bracewell was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with 4-75.
Chasing 319 for victory on a dramatic final day, Pakistan achieved 304-9 when bad light stopped the play. Pakistan lost two wickets without a run on the board on Thursday while chasing 319 for victory, and New Zealand took the upper hand by claiming three wickets in the final day's morning session.
At 80/5, New Zealand seemed to have an upper hand for a win when Sarfaraz and Saud Shakeel came together to resurrect Pakistan's innings with a century stand.
When that stand was broken after tea, New Zealand took a new lead but Agha Salman hung on with Sarfaraz to keep the game alive until the final hour.
The visitors clawed back into the contest with three wickets in the space of five overs late in the day, including that of Sarfaraz. But Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed held on and Naseem even smashed a six and a four.
Pakistan were 15 runs away from a win and New Zealand just needed one wicket to win a Test series in Pakistan for the first time in more than fifty years but the match ended in a draw.
Babar Azam threw caution to the wind in the last Test against New Zealand, declaring with about 15 overs left in the day and New Zealand needing 138 runs. The New Zealand batters came out firing, reaching 61/1 in 7.3 overs before play was called off due to inclement weather. (ANI)