Pakistan nails New Zealand by 248 runs in 1st test

The victory lifted Misbah one ahead of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad’s joint Pakistan record of 14 test victories

Pakistan cricket team on Thursday won the first Test match against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs. File photo

Misbah-ul-Haq became Pakistan’s most successful test captain with a thumping 248-run victory in the first test against New Zealand on Thursday.

The victory lifted Misbah one ahead of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad’s joint Pakistan record of 14 test victories.

New Zealand’s No.10 Ish Sodhi delayed the inevitable for over an hour on the fifth and final day and top-scored with a gritty career-best 63 before he was the last man to go.

Sodhi shared a 54-run last-wicket stand with Trent Boult.

Chasing a 480-run target, New Zealand was left lurching at 174-8 on the fourth day as they failed to cope with either the spinning duo of Yasir Shah (3-74) and Zulfiqar Babar (2-48) or the reverse swing of Imran Khan (2-37) and Rahat Ali (2-48).