Karachi: New Zealand slipped against Pakistan allrounder Agha Salman's offspin in the final session after Devon Conway hit his fourth Test hundred on the opening day of the second test on Monday. New Zealand was cruising along at 234-1 on the back of Conway's 122 off 191 balls before Salman picked up 3-55 and the Black Caps finished the day at 309-6.
Tom Blundell was not out on 30 while Ish Sodhi, who made a career-best 65 in the drawn first test, was unbeaten on 11. Conway put on two solid century stands with Tom Latham (71) and Kane Williamson (36) in a dominating first two sessions for the Black Caps after Tim Southee won the toss and elected to bat before losing five wickets for 45 runs after tea.
Salman pegged back New Zealand with the old ball on a wicket that had some grass and tempted Pakistan to go with three fast bowlers Mir Hamza, recalled Hasan Ali and fit-again Naseem Shah and just one specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Salman ignited the collapse when he found the outside edge of Conway's bat that ended his 100-run stand with Williamson. The offspinner, who bowled a 12-over spell after tea, hit back the off stump of Daryl Mitchell (3) with his turning delivery before successfully overturning a caught-behind decision through a TV referral against Henry Nicholls (26).
Earlier, Conway and Latham contributed a second successive century opening stand in the two-match series before Naseem Shah (2-44) brought the lone success in the first two sessions when he had Latham trapped leg before wicket of a full delivery after lunch but New Zealand added further 107 runs in the post-lunch session.
Naseem was rewarded for his reverse swing when he also found the outside edge of Williamson's bat and was brilliantly snapped by diving Sarfaraz Ahmed in front of the first slip soon after Salman had dismissed Conway. Both lefthanders Conway and Latham dominated the pace and spin in the first session to produce 119 runs and even showed aggression against Abrar's mystery spin after captain Babar Azam turned to his ace spinner as early as in the ninth over.