Pakistan vs. New Zealand 1st Test: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
Less than a week after dismantling Australia, Pakistan commence another Test series in the UAE against New Zealand, with the first match of the encounter beginning on Sunday.
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Commences: Sunday, Nov. 9
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Start time: 6 a.m. GMT (10 a.m. local)
Live on: Ten Sports (Middle East/Asia), SKY Sport (New Zealand)
Weather: The Weather Channel is forecasting a hot and dry week, with temperatures set to linger around 30 degrees Celsius for the duration of the Test.
Overview
It was almost two years between Test series victories for Pakistan, but when it came, it was sweeter than anyone could have anticipated.
In dismantling Australia across two Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Misbah-ul-Haq's men broke all sorts of records as they ended a 20-year wait for triumph over the Australians.
Imperious with the bat and surprisingly incisive with the ball, the home side made a mockery of the supposed gap in quality, sending the tourists home with yet another Asian nightmare as they rejoiced in a long-awaited recapture of excellence.
Still riding that momentum, Pakistan now face Australia's neighbours, New Zealand, in the same region as they look to extend their winning run.
Positively, the hosts have outlined their desire to develop stability within the national team, going into the first Test unchanged—a rare occurrence for this Pakistani generation. Such a situation will be daunting for the Kiwis, given the form of Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali and Zulfiqar Babar just to name a few.
And worryingly, New Zealand will be facing the same issues Australia did, trying to overcome an obvious degree of rust having spent a considerable time away from the Test arena, as well as the problems inherent when lacking a world-class spinner in this part of the world—something the tourists' high-quality seam attack will find hard to overcome.
Squads
Pakistan
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shan Masood, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar
New Zealand
Brendon McCullum (c), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Hamish Rutherford, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner BJ Watling (wk), Kane Williamson
Key Players
Pakistan
Fresh from his destruction of Australia, Babar is likely to be the key figure for Pakistan once more in this Test, given that New Zealand have historically suffered from the same spinning issues as their closest neighbours.
Making Saeed Ajmal's absence almost forgotten, the left-armer's variety in flight, turn and pace has proved irresistible on the sluggish UAE wickets and has reminded many why the veteran is the owner of a fine first-class record despite his lack of experience at Test level.
Should Babar continue the form he displayed against Australia, New Zealand will find this Test to be something of a continuation from the previous series contested by their antipodean counterparts.
New Zealand
If he was watching Pakistan's thumping victories over Australia, Brendon McCullum will have acknowledged that New Zealand must find a way to conjure competitive first-innings totals in this series in the UAE if they stand any chance of mounting a challenge to the hosts.
With vast experience in the sort of subcontinental conditions that will be on offer here, the Kiwi captain is the man who must hold the visitors' efforts with the bat together.
He has shown us this year that he's capable of playing extraordinary innings. Now he needs to do it away from home.
Prediction
Unless it's been a week-long bender for Pakistan since the victory over Australia, it's difficult to see how New Zealand can push the hosts in these conditions in this sort of form.
Without elite spinning options and coming into the Test with questions over the fitness of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, one senses this match could easily be as lopsided as the pair that have just gone before it.
Thus, Pakistan should continue their dominance here, provided there isn't any sort of hangover effect from the emphatic triumph just completed.
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