Pakistan were nine down and 91 runs behind but Sarfraz Ahmed made his third Test century in the company of last man Rahat Ali to frustrate New Zealand and nearly wipe out the deficit in an extended first session. The two Pakistan spinners then struck thrice each but Ross Taylor cut his way to an unbeaten 77 to give his side an overall lead of 177 going into the final day.
New Zealand were not able to break through the last pair despite the extra half hour added to the morning session as Sarfraz and Rahat Ali added 81 in 28 overs. Sarfraz finally fell in the second over after the interval on 112, hitting a return catch to give Brendon McCullum his first wicket in 89 Tests.
Sarfraz's effort not only prevented New Zealand from taking a big first-innings lead, but also took plenty of time out of the game. He went past Kamran Akmal for the most Test runs scored by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in a calendar year, and also became the first keeper from his country to make three Test centuries in a calendar year.
Pakistan began on 281 for 6 and lost three wickets in the first ten overs to Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Sarfraz took singles off the first balls of a few overs only to see Yasir Shah and Ehsan Adil succumb to Southee's tight lines.
Sarfraz became wiser and shielded Zulfiqar Babar from most of the strike, but the left-arm spinner insisted on backing away and heaving at the fast bowlers. Sarfaz gave him one ball to negotiate in the 119th over, but Babar promptly nicked Boult behind.
Southee and Boult rarely bowled a loose ball and 38 runs came in 13 overs in the first hour. Sarfraz had realised farming the strike alone won't do, and he whipped and cut Boult for fours.
Ish Sodhi and James Neesham came on after drinks, and Rahat dug in. Sarfraz would take a single off the fourth ball mostly and then Rahat would move across, cover the stumps, and defend from the crease.
Sarfraz launched a flurry of boundaries against the offspinner Mark Craig and Sodhi. The field was spread out but Sarfraz found the gaps consistently. He lofted straight and over extra cover, and swept in front of and behind square. He took 25 off two overs from the spinners, moved to 96, and also brought up the fifty of the partnership.
New Zealand turned to Southee and Boult again, but Sarfraz was in complete command. He cut Southee for four to reach his century, and drove Boult for four more.
Rahat played his role superbly, playing out a maiden to Southee and wearing a blow on his arm. He also edged Craig between the keeper and slip, but as lunch neared, he developed enough confidence to launch Sodhi to the straight boundary twice. Rahat stayed undefeated on 16, having lasted 49 deliveries.
McCullum came out to bat eager to make up for lost time and cracked six fours in his 45, but New Zealand lost their best batsman of the series, Tom Latham, to a debatable decision. Latham was given caught by a diving Asad Shafiq at leg gully as he attempted to sweep Yasir on 9. He reviewed immediately, and there did not appear to be any visible contact with glove before the ball brushed his forearm.
But without HotSpot or Snicko, there was no conclusive evidence for the third umpire to overturn the on-field decision. New Zealand slowed down as the spinners started to produce the edges, but there were no real chances going into tea.
They came in a rush during the final session though, as New Zealand lost 3 for 16 in the space of 17 balls. Kane Williamson had come out pretty positive after tea, and ended up driving Babar uppishly to short extra cover. McCullum went in Babar's next over, Pakistan reviewing successfully for leg-before. Corey Anderson lasted four balls as Yasir spun a big legbreak out of the rough, through the gate, and onto the stumps.
New Zealand had gone from 63 for 1 to 79 for 4, but Taylor was backing his instinct to cut, and had got going with boundaries through point off his first two balls. Taylor kept making room and cutting from the line of the stumps, scoring at a strike-rate in the eighties.
Neesham hung around for a while, but Babar spun in another ripper out of the rough to bowl him. Play was called off with ten deliveries to go, but two balls before, Yasir made one kick at BJ Watling, who fended the nearly unplayable delivery to second slip. It was a reminder of how tricky the chase could be for Pakistan on day five.
Day 5 New Zealand 403 and 250 for 9 dec drew with Pakistan 393 and 196 for 5
Pakistan lost three wickets for five runs after lunch but recovered to bat out a draw to retain their 1-0 lead over New Zealand going into the final Test in Sharjah. Pakistan went from 70 for 1 to 75 for 4 before Asad Shafiq, in partnerships with Younis Khan and Sarfraz Ahmed, dug in to earn the stalemate.
Shafiq batted 116 deliveries for his unbeaten 41, and his 74-run stand with Younis took 23.4 overs out of the game. The in-form Sarfraz came in and hit a quick 24 as he and Shafiq played out 11.3 overs before both sides decided to call off the match around 30 minutes into the final hour. Play was unlikely to have lasted much longer with light fading, with an hour-long lunch break having being taken on account of Friday prayers.
Pakistan were set 261 to win in 72 overs as New Zealand declared an hour before lunch. They lost Taufeeq Umar in the second over of the chase when he nicked Tim Southee behind. Shan Masood and Azhar Ali dug in against the spinners, but Azhar provided New Zealand an opening when he cracked a Mark Craig full toss straight to extra cover on 24.
Trent Boult was brought back and he immediately found some reverse swing.
Masood missed an incoming full delivery and went leg-before for 40. Considering that the ball was angled in and had swung in further, Masood reviewed. However, replays showed the ball straightening almost like an offbreak to hit the inside of leg stump. Masood was struck on the back heel and the ball did not have a long way to travel. It may well have been clipping leg stump and the on-field decision might have stood, but the predictive path shown by ball-tracking brought smiles even from the New Zealand camp.
Masood walked off shaking his head, but there was little doubt about what happened in Boult's next over. Misbah-ul-Haq took his eyes off a bouncer and was hit on the left arm. Boult went round the stumps next ball and delivered a ripper, angling it in, making Misbah play and reversing it away to take a thin edge to the wicketkeeper.
Younis and Shafiq calmed Pakistan nerves. Shafiq pulled Ish Sodhi for four to get off the mark, and left the fast bowlers safely. Younis was in command in both defence and attack. He stepped out to hit Craig for three sixes, not holding back even in the last over before tea, and exchanging smiles with Brendon McCullum after the third effort. He came down again to the offspinner on 44 but the ball kicked out of the rough and a surprised Younis fended it to slip.
Ish Sodhi, who had bowled some beauties throughout the match, could not summon consistency when it mattered the most on a day five pitch. Sarfraz came out sweeping and driving, and even Shafiq put away the regular boundary balls given by the New Zealand spinners to seal the draw.
Masood and Azhar had been were tested the most by the spinners in a 62-run second-wicket stand in 25.3 overs. Masood padded up to Sodhi's first ball, a big legbreak jagging in from the rough outside off. The lbw appeal was turned down, and New Zealand did not review, but replays showed the ball would have hit middle just under the top. Sodhi spun it even more next ball, right across Masood and down the leg side.
Pakistan managed 32 off the 14 overs till lunch, but Masood and Azhar were more positive when they came out again. Masood used the sweep against Sodhi, and also pulled him for six and four. Craig had a leg-before appeal turned down against Masood off a straighter one, and then beat him twice in succession with turn and bounce. Masood responded by stepping out to loft the offspinner for a straight six.
Southee gave Azhar a few bouncers and the batsman fended one down the leg side and also edged just short of second slip. He recovered to drive Southee straight down the ground for four.
Southee had swung left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar for three successive sixes to reach 50 maximums in Test cricket and bring the declaration on 250 for 9.
Ross Taylor made his 12th Test century and his first against Pakistan. Taylor and Craig put on 60 for the seventh wicket at almost four an over, before departing in the space of three balls to give the legspinner Yasir Shah his maiden Test five-for.
Pakistan had an early chance when Craig edged Rahat Ali low to first slip, but Taufeeq spilled the straightforward chance. Craig was on 7 then, and went on to make 34.
Taylor carried on from last evening, when he had used the cut against spin liberally. He reached his century off 129 deliveries to equal John Wright for the second-most Test hundreds for New Zealand. His pace of scoring allowed New Zealand to set a sporting target, but there was only one result Pakistan were looking at from 75 for 4.
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