Hafeez puts Pakistan in control against New Zealand on flat Sharjah pitch

The New Zealand team applauded the batsman off the field, even though his unbeaten 178 has probably gone a long way already to depriving them of a series-levelling win in this Test match.

Mohammed Hafeez became the first Pakistan opener in 15 years to score back-to-back hundreds. Aamir Qureshi / AFP

SHARJAH // Mohammed Hafeez has had a few conflicting breaks just lately, so he deserved to be able to celebrate his moment of triumph at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Not everyone got the memo, though. At the close of play on Day 1 of the deciding Test, an overzealous G4S security guard ran on the field in hot pursuit of two Ten Sports cameramen.

They had access all areas passes, and wanted to get up close and personal with the hero of the hour, as their broadcast contract no doubt mandates. But the security guard wanted to shoo them away.

Cue the team liaison manager for New Zealand running on to try to do the same to him.

Despite being aligned with the opposition, even he realised Hafeez should have his moment in the sun, having hit the highest score ever in Tests in Sharjah.

After that brief moment of farce, the New Zealand team, to a man, applauded Hafeez from the field.

Even though his unbeaten 178 has probably gone a long way already to depriving them of a series-levelling win in this Test match.

Hafeez might feel he was owed this innings. His series was interrupted when he was in a similarly serene vein of form in Abu Dhabi in the first Test.

A hamstring injury prevented meant he was unavailable for selection for the next game.

So he went to England instead, to address the other issue hanging over him - his suspect bowling action.

He only made it back the day before the game. He successfully navigated a brief fitness test on Tuesday, then was straight back into the old routine.

After he hit Trent Boult through backward point off the first ball of the Test match, a century looked about as certain as the weather staying fair for the rest of the day.

It has been a month or so of remarkable achievement for Pakistan’s batsmen.

If you are not scoring double-hundreds, or averaging well in excess of a hundred, or scoring the fastest ever Test ton, or the highest score at the given ground, then you are nobody in the Pakistan batting side at present.

Hafeez, who is not everyone’s favourite as a Test opener, has been one of the chief successes.

As he was not out at at stumps, his average for the series against New Zealand was a faintly ridiculous 375.

“He came back one day earlier and he was really focused for this game,” said Azhar Ali, who shared in a stand worth 87 with Hafeez.

“The way he batted showed how focused he was. He was composed and he really punished the bad ball as well.”

Even Daniel Vettori, the returning left-arm spinner, was powerless to slow the Pakistan onslaught.

On the day he set a new record for Test appearances by a New Zealander, he managed the wicket of Younis Khan. Other than that, the going was tough.

“There is an aura about him and it is nice he turned up and played a Test match with us as he is a quality player,” said Mark Craig, the offspinner who took two wickets for New Zealand.

The National’s verdict

New Zealand recalled Daniel Vettori for this Test match. They should probably have fished Danny Morrison out of the commentary box, too, put some whites on their bowling coach, Shane Bond, and seen what Sir Richard Hadlee was up to while they were at it. Even if all of them were here in their glorious pomp together, New Zealand would still struggle to take 20 Pakistan wickets in this game. When the Mohammed Hafeez and Shan Masood went out to open the innings, their reflection was visible on the pitch, so smooth and shorn of grass was it. Getting three Pakistan batsman out was a fair achievement for the tourists.

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