11 November,2014 01:54 AM IST | | AFP
Ahmed Shehzad hit a career-best 176 before being rushed to hospital with a fractured skull as Pakistan's batsmen smashed New Zealand around the ground in the first Test yesterday
Pakistan's opener Ahmed Shehzad
Abu Dhabi: Ahmed Shehzad hit a career-best 176 before being rushed to hospital with a fractured skull as Pakistan's batsmen smashed New Zealand around the ground in the first Test yesterday.
1. Pakistan's opener Ahmed Shehzad is hit by a delivery from Corey Anderson on Day Two of the first Test against NZ in Abu Dhabi yesterday. 2. Shehzad's bat falls on the stumps as the batsman loses his balance 3. Shehzad lies in pain on the ground. Pics/Getty Images
Younis Khan and Misbah-ul Haq also hit dominant tons to put Pakistan in control on 566 for three declared. But Shehzad's injury briefly set alarm bells ringing. In the final over before lunch, Shehzad was hit on the side of the head trying to hook a short ball by New Zealand seamer Corey Anderson on the hard Abu Dhabi wicket.
Kept under observation
Shehzad's bat struck the stumps for a hit-wicket dismissal and the dazed batsman fell to the ground before walking off. Shehzad was later rushed to a hospital where scans showed he had a minor skull fracture and will be kept under observation for the next 48 hours.
"Shehzad's CT scan shows depressed fracture of zygomatic arch of skull," a Pakistan Cricket Board release said. Before the drama, he had hit 17 fours and a six in his 371-ball innings. While team managers worried about the opener, Younis went on to smash an unbeaten 100 - his 28th Test hundred and fourth in five innings.
Misbah knocked an unbeaten 102, his third ton in three innings. Azhar Ali missed his hundred after he was dismissed for 87. At the close on the second day New Zealand were 15-0 with Brendon McCullum on nine and Tom Latham on five.
They need another 352 to avoid the follow-on. Younis, who scored 468 runs against Australia in a series which ended last week, hit 10 fours in his 141-ball knock. He hit a century in each innings in the first Test against Australia in Dubai and followed that with 213 in the Abu Dhabi Test last week. Misbah hit nine fours and a six off 162 balls.
The two veteran batsmen added 193 for the unbroken fourth wicket stand to build on another second wicket stand of 169 runs between Ali and Shehzad.
'Wish it came in Pak'
Younis wished his run of big scores had come in Pakistan where international cricket is suspended due to terrorism. Pakistan have been forced to play international cricket on the neutral venues of UAE since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. And Younis missed his home crowds during his sequence of big scores.
"It would have been fantastic had all this happened in Pakistan before my own people," said an emotional Younis. "It's always a good feeling playing before your home crowd as I did in 2004 against India, then in the next two years so I wish it could happen again in Pakistan before my own people."
Brief scores
Pakistan 566-3 dec (A Shehzad 176, Misbah-ul-Haq 102', Y Khan 100', M Hafeez 96, A Ali 87; C Anderson 2-68) lead New Zealand 15-0 (B McCullum 9') by 551 runs
