Agha Salman solid as Pakistan close in on 400

Pakistan have reached 377-8 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi. 

After skipper Babar Azam's dismissal in the first over of the day, Agha Salman took charge and scored an unbeaten fifty for the hosts. The right-hander had reached 54 runs at the break.  

Azam fell without adding to his overnight score of 161, which included 15 fours and a six. It was a fifth-stump line by Tim Southee as the Pakistan captain tried to poke but got a faint outside edge to the wicketkeeper. 

Salman added 54 crucial runs for the seventh wicket with Nauman Ali, who played a gritty knock of seven runs in 75 balls. 

Michael Bracewell, Ajax Patel and Southee bagged two wickets each for the visitors. 

It must be noted that Azam knocked a fighting hundred and the recalled Sarfaraz Ahmed hit a half century to guide Pakistan to a healthy 317-5 on the opening day.

The pair led Pakistan´s recovery from 110-4 during a 196-run fifth wicket stand, as the home team lost only Sarfaraz in the last two sessions.

New Zealand spinners had taken three early wickets on a spin-assisting National Stadium pitch and one before lunch but had to wait until the closing moments when Ajaz Patel got Sarfaraz caught in the slip for 86.

At close, Azam was unbeaten on 161 and Agha Salman three as the home team looked to lift from last week´s 3-0 loss at the hands of England, their first ever whitewash at home.

Azam now has 1,170 runs in nine Tests this year — the highest run scorer in Tests in 2022.

He also beat Mohammad Yousuf´s 2006 aggregate of 2,435 in all three formats, taking 2,584 runs across the board this year.

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