ABU DHABI // There have been several certainties relating to Pakistan cricket – one was losing to Australia, the other is beating New Zealand.
Of the 20 Test series the two have played, Pakistan has won 13 and New Zealand two.
Pakistan has won nearly half the 50 Tests between them and New Zealand seven.
Whether the times have been good, bad or ordinary, Pakistan have beaten New Zealand – convincingly, improbably and every way in between. It is similar to the modern dominance Australia held over Pakistan.
New Zealand have not won a Test series against Pakistan since 1985 and their last away Test series win against Pakistan was in 1969/70.
Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, said that with the first of two Tests beginning today in Abu Dhabi, that statistic does not matter.
Find out the results of the previous five Test series played between Pakistan and New Zealand.
Only three of the squad were alive when New Zealand last beat Pakistan and none of them was of an age to remember it.
It may even help, as it makes for a bit of motivation but none of the baggage.
“You’re always aware of the history of the game and very respectful of those who have been before us,” McCullum said.
“We’re very aware of those statistics, but we can only control what we can control and that’s what is in front of us over the next 15 days of cricket.
“We’ll do our absolute best to try and rectify that statistic. It may not pan out, we may get beaten here, but I’m pretty sure we’ll put up a very good performance.”
They stand a decent chance because, under the radar (as is the cricket team’s style), they have rapidly improved as a Test side over the past 18 months, although their position in the rankings – seventh – is not yet indicative of that.
They have lost just one of their past six series, beating India at home and, impressively, West Indies away in that time.
They are the kind of team that can trouble Pakistan – limited and adept at playing a waiting game. Their opening pacemen, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, are well-equipped for slower surfaces.
“I wouldn’t change those two for any around the world,” McCullum said. “They’re young guys but what they’ve achieved recently as a pair is nothing short of amazing and it has allowed us to attack.
“They bowl a fuller length than some of the bowlers seen here, and they give the ball an opportunity to swing and, if it doesn’t swing, they have the ability to contain for a period of time.
“They are smart bowlers who look how to work guys out over a long period of time.”
Pakistan might worry that a dip is due given they have put two such startlingly consistent performances together back-to-back. It is not often any Pakistan side, from any era, has managed to prolong that.
“After winning the first Test against Australia that’s what we talked about in the team meetings, and we were focused that we need to repeat that performance,” said Misbah-ul-Haq.
“It’s the same again this series, we don’t want to be reluctant and lazy. We really want to be focused and go with the same sort of intent.”
Key battles
• Southee and Boult vs Pakistan’s top-order Pakistan’s success against Australia was built on scarcely believable top-order solidity. But Southee and Boult are better in these conditions, likelier to better exploit the new ball and more penetrative with the older one. Younis Khan is in the form of his life, as are Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed, but this pair will test them.
• Babar and Yasir vs New Zealand’s batting
Saeed Ajmal who? Not really, but the point made by Babar and Shah in the last series was an emphatic one – they took 26 wickets between them. Babar especially was outstanding and it was the opinion of his coach Waqar Younis ahead of the Test that if he continues pitching it right, the tourists will have it tough.
• Favourites vs underdogs
Pre-series billings do not usually count for much but this is an interesting one. Pakistan do not often go into a series as the favourites and New Zealand go into pretty much every series as the lesser-fancied side. Pakistan will have to cope with being the side expected to push for a win in the series, as New Zealand are likely to be happier to draw. It may shape the series.
Key stats
15 – If Pakistan wins, it will give Misbah-ul-Haq his 15th Test victory as captain, making him the most successful Pakistan captain for wins
4 – The number of Tests New Zealand have won against Pakistan in 30 years, since they won a home series 2-0 in 1985.
484 – The number of runs Younis Khan has in six Tests against New Zealand, with one hundred and three fifties, and the Kiwis are catching him in superb form.
Verdict
New Zealand are low-key but expect a few surprises. The pitch looks much as it did last week against Australia but their bowlers are likelier to trouble Pakistan. They also have a better balance in their attack than Australia. The buzz around Pakistan’s camp is almost visible at present and if their attack can bowl as they have done recently, they should win it. But it is a young attack, due a poor game.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter at SprtNationalUAE
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Company%20Profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Jawan
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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SPECS
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Company%20Profile
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SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 258hp at 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.4L/100km
Price, base: from D215,000 (Dh230,000 as tested)
On sale: now