PAK vs NZ: Imam-ul-Haq slams his sixth Test fifty
Pakistan's opening batter Imam-ul-Haq slammed 96 off 206 deliveries in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand. Resuming from 45 off 83 deliveries, the southpaw paced his innings well to keep the score ticking for Pakistan. Imam, who managed 24 runs earlier, whipped 10 fours and a six before getting stumped out by Ish Sodhi. We look at his stats.
Imam puts up a gritty act
Coming to bat in the final session on Day 4, Imam fetched a solid 47-run opening stand before fellow opener Abdullah Shafique departed. He was running out of partners before Sarfaraz Ahmed joined in to steady the Pakistani ship. The duo added 85 runs and piloted Pakistan to 185/5. Imam, however, missed out on what would have been his fourth Test ton.
Decoding Imam's Test numbers
Imam made his debut against Ireland in 2018. He has since amassed 1,322 runs across 19 matches at 38.88. Notably, Imam has gone past 700 runs at home. He holds 406 and 197 runs at away and neutral venues, respectively. He has already scored 800-plus runs in the format in 2022 (837). He scored 391 and 94 runs in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
How has the 1st Test panned out?
Pakistan slammed 438 after electing to bat. Babar Azam and Agha Salman's hundreds put them on top. The Kiwis then hammered 612/9d, riding on a double ton from Kane Williamson. Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed garnered the best figures (5/205). The hosts have managed to put up a fight on Day 5 and lead by over 30 runs.
Hundreds in both innings of a Test
Imam is one of 10 Pakistani players to score a hundred in each inning of a Test match. He attained the feat in the Rawalpindi Test against Australia earlier this year (157 and 111*). The match ended as a draw. Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Wajahatullah Wasti, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, and Misbah-ul-Haq are the others.
