Shahid Afridi Backs Pakistan after Their Heart-Breaking Defeat against New Zealand

There has been talks going around that Test cricket should left out due to the arrival of T20 cricket. But the longest format of the game never ceases to amaze us.

The recent concluded Test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Abu Dhabi is a fresh example of classic Test match. This is because the Kiwis produced an amazing performance and did the unthinkable.

Forced to defend a low total of 175, New Zealand bundled Pakistan for 171, thanks to their debutant Ajaz Patel. He took five wickets and ended with third best figure for a Kiwi player in whites.

New Zealand batted first on a spin-friendly track and ended up scoring a paltry 153. Pakistan took a lead of 74 runs and it seemed virtually impossible for the visitors to come back.

However they scored resilience and scored 249 in the second innings, handing Pakistan a tricky target of 176. New Zealand took three early wickets and dented Pakistan for 48-3.

However Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq put up a gritty 82-run stand. The latter got out at the stroke of lunch.

Babar Azam’s run-out opened the floodgates as the visitors did not give enough space to breathe. Eventually Pakistan succumbed and lost the match by four runs.

Cricket lovers flooded social media site Twitter with emotions as they witnessed an enthralling game of cricket. This also impressed former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi as he expressed his thoughts too.

“Great game of cricket. Test match cricket is a fascinating format. Congratulations New Zealand on a remarkable win! Well fought Pakistan, IA the team will bounce back from here. Well done Hasan Ali and Yasir Shah, great bowling!” he tweeted.

New Zealand are now 1-0 ahead in the three-Test series. Although it is Pakistan’s home ground, yet it would hard for them to bounce back from this heart-breaking loss.

The second Test will begin from 24 November and will be played in Dubai.