Wisden's review of New Zealand v Pakistan, 1st Test, 2009-10
Lynn McConnell
15-Apr-2010
At University Oval, Dunedin, November 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 2009. New Zealand won by
32 runs. Toss: Pakistan. Test debut: Umar Akmal.
During the match, a magazine profile of Daniel Vettori quoted him as saying that one
of his goals in Test cricket was to have New Zealand's batsmen score enough runs to bowl
opposing sides out on the fifth afternoon of a match. Little did he realise what lay ahead in
this immensely entertaining Test.
From the very first ball, with which Mohammad Aamer bowled McIntosh, there was
always something happening on a pitch offering assistance to bowlers prepared to work hard. What looked like becoming a typical New Zealand top-order collapse was stemmed
initially by Guptill and Taylor, who added 117 for the third wicket. But as so often it took
Vettori, batting nearly four hours before he was caught behind for 99, and McCullum, who
was reprieved by third umpire Rudi Koertzen after Simon Taufel gave him lbw to
Mohammad Asif in the first day's final over, to provide what proved a match-winning
advantage. They shared a seventh-wicket stand of 164, and New Zealand batted throughout
the first two days (the second cut to 36 overs by rain) for a first-innings total of 429.
It was Asif's consistent line, on or around off stump, that most troubled the batsmen,
especially those lacking the technique to keep him out. He collected four wickets, and was
delighted with how quickly he fitted back into Test cricket after serving a suspension for
drugs offences. Pakistan paid the price for dreadful catching lapses, however - something
they could not shake off throughout the match.
They were not immune from batting problems, either. Martin made the early
breakthroughs, removing both openers, before the long-awaited return of Shane Bond bore
fruit in his second spell. Not long after lunch on day three, he unleashed a burst of three
wickets in ten balls. Mohammad Yousuf, like him a rehabilitated Indian Cricket League
player, was his first victim, offering a low caught and bowled chance which the hungry
Bond snaffled with ease. Yousuf said afterwards that Bond was one of the most difficult
bowlers he had faced.
Pakistan's recovery was led by 19-year-old Umar Akmal, who seemed completely
unaffected by the circumstances. He hit his first ball in Test cricket to the third-man
boundary and went on to become the 11th Pakistani to reach a century on debut - and the
second in five months, after Fawad Alam. A disregard for convention allowed him to race
to his hundred by taking four, six and four in four balls from O'Brien. His older brother
Kamran was evidently overwhelmed by emotion, as he fell to Vettori in the next over after
they had added 176 in three hours. Vettori quickly brought Bond back, and he removed
the younger Akmal on the way to his fifth five-wicket bag in Tests. But Umar's 129, from
160 balls in 219 minutes with 21 fours and two sixes, was the innings of the series.
New Zealand's runs in the bank proved vital, as they collapsed again in the third
innings; only Taylor's fifty showed the desire necessary to ensure Pakistan were set a
tough chase. Asif took four wickets again as the home side were all out for 153 early on
the last morning. As a result of the overs added on to compensate for bad light and rain on
the previous three days, Pakistan had 91 overs to score 251.
Bond was soon among the top order as they slumped to 24 for three, but Yousuf and
Umar Akmal, who batted another 222 minutes for 75 and revealed a defensive quality as
impressive as his earlier attacking efforts, rebuilt the innings. Martin eventually separated
them, getting the ball to lift sharply on Yousuf, who edged behind. As long as Umar was
at the crease, however, Pakistan's hopes were alive. It was Bond who got him again,
caught and bowled, to make it 195 for six. Two runs later, O'Brien exposed the tail when
he trapped Kamran lbw. Vettori had his wish when he claimed the last two wickets. An
exciting final day had ended in victory for New Zealand with 15 overs to spare.
Bond, who claimed eight for 153 in the match and bowled with undiminished speed,
said: "It was a perfect comeback - this is the way you want to play Test cricket. It was the
first time I had bowled with only four bowlers. I just wanted to bowl well and take
wickets." Sadly, it was to be his Test swansong.
Man of the Match: S. E. Bond.
Close of play: First day, New Zealand 276-6 (McCullum 25, Vettori 40); Second day, New
Zealand 404-8 (Bond 8, O'Brien 2); Third day, Pakistan 307-8 (Mohammad Aamer 12, Mohammad
Asif 0); Fourth day, New Zealand 147-8 (Elliott 20, O'Brien 4).