Pakistan and New Zealand clashed against each other at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat. The Men in Green did not get off to the best of starts as Pakistan were reeling at 48-3. The top order was back in the shed and Pakistan needed something special to get back into the game. Skipper Babar Azam and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed then stitched a brilliant 196-run stand for the fifth wicket which helped the team to achieve to a total of 438 runs.
After enduring a lean patch in limited-overs cricket for some time, Kane Williamson finally came back to his good-old form on his return to Test cricket in Karachi. In the first against Pakistan, Williamson, coming in at No. 3, remained not out on 200 to take his side to 612/9 until Tim Southee decided to declare. His 395-ball knock was laced with 21 fours and one six, while Ish Sodhi’s well-made 65 helped them recover from 436/6.
Williamson and Sodhi put up a great show
After being reprieved on 21, Williamson made the most of it to bring up his 5th Test double ton,, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s tally of most double-tons by a Kiwi. More importantly, it was a much-needed innings for Williamson himself, who recently stepped down from Test captaincy amidst his poor form.
Williamson shared a 159-run stand with Ish Sodhi that ground out Pakistan on the fourth day, earning them a 174-run lead before the declaration. Now, New Zealand will look to take some early wickets in the last session of the fourth day of the first Test match. Pakistan, on the other hand, would hope to make a comeback with the bat and draw the game, given that it was the only possible outcome for Babar and his men.
Every New Zealand player hailed Williamson from the stands for his sublime knock in Karachi, and Twitterati too joined in to congratulate the talismanic batter.
What an innings played by Kane Williamson. He scored 200* runs from 393 balls with 21 fours & 1 six against Pakistan. What a player.
Take a bow, Kane! pic.twitter.com/zhCkTlU4No
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) December 29, 2022
Kane Williamson should thank Tim Southee for his 200#KaneWilliamson pic.twitter.com/uvCIFPUaBz
— 𝑨kul. (@Loyalsachfan01) December 29, 2022
Kane Williamson's 5th 200… when we've been praying for Babar's 1st pic.twitter.com/uhfpSZpGBH
— Anxi-T ✨️ Babar Azam Enthusiast (@LegoLass86) December 29, 2022
world's Best smooth and sharp batsman #KaneWilliamson#PAKvsnz #TestCricket
Kane williamson 200 hundred 🔥🎆 pic.twitter.com/qadxtWiv3w— Tanveer Akhter (@takhter775) December 29, 2022
Double hundred for Kane Williamson. His 5th Double Hundred in Test cricket. He scored 200* runs from 393 balls against Pakistan – What a player. pic.twitter.com/w164FlKsun
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) December 29, 2022
200 for Kane Williamson. What an innings from him. #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/4Q2n1YODNB
— Zeeshan° (@SimplyARMAAN) December 29, 2022
Kane Williamson's last 5 innings against Pakistan in Test cricket:
•139(283).
•129(297).
•21(33).
•238(364).
•200*(393).5 innings, 727 runs, 181.75 average, 2 Hundreds, 2 double hundreds – Incredible.
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) December 29, 2022
Pakistan after conceding 600+ runs & bowling 194 overs against New Zealand #PakistanvsNewZealand pic.twitter.com/rXBTpvNLNt
— Kapil (@rohitpnwr23) December 29, 2022
What a magnificient innings from Kane Williamson🔥
He remains at 200 not out as Tim Southee declares the innings at 612/9. #PakistanvsNewZealand pic.twitter.com/EsdPhGwSIP— Rohan Raj Mudvari (@mudvari25) December 29, 2022
