New Zealand go off beaten track in search for victory
Most of the focus in the run-up to the third Test between Pakistan and New Zealand has been on Daniel Vettori's inclusion, and the likelihood of the visitors playing a three-pronged spin attack
The Preview by Rachna Shetty
25-Nov-2014
Match facts
November 26-30, Sharjah
Start time 1000 local (0600 GMT)
Start time 1000 local (0600 GMT)
Big picture
In September this year, Daniel Vettori had admitted that his Test future was "on the backburner" after a spate of injuries had left him unsure of his fitness to cope with the demands of the format. Expectedly, then, most of the attention in the lead-up to the Test has been on his inclusion in the New Zealand squad, even if it is only a "one-off".
Vettori, who last played a Test in July 2012, was travelling in the UAE with the New Zealand A squad, focused on building up his workload ahead of the World Cup. His selection, unconventional as it is, also shows New Zealand's desperation to win the final Test and level the series. They put Pakistan under pressure on the final day of the second Test, with an interesting declaration, but the inexperience of their spinners also came through.
In terms of number of matches, not much separates the spin pair of Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig from Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar - where Sodhi and Craig have played 15 Tests between them, Babar and Shah have 10. Towards the end of the day in Dubai, however, Craig and Sodhi couldn't summon the consistency and guile to make use of a day-five pitch and choke Pakistan.
Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, has pointed out that making use of footmarks on tracks was something the pair were still adapting their technique to, and on a track that's likely to be the lowest and slowest of all the surfaces in the series, the visitors will be banking on Vettori's experience and knowledge.
For Pakistan, the second Test was a trip out of their comfort zone, a break in their series of bat-first-bat-big strategy that brought them so much success against Australia and in the first Test of the series. Their second innings on the final day of the game was one of the toughest they have played in recent Tests in the UAE and while they were jittery, it gave the likes of Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq a chance to show their mettle in negotiating the draw. Pakistan will be wary of the fact that a 1-1 scoreline at the end of the series could cost them the No. 3 spot in the Test rankings, as they will fall behind England if they lose this match.
Form guide
Pakistan: DWWWL (most recent first, completed matches only)
New Zealand: DLWLW
New Zealand: DLWLW
In the spotlight
Since his debut in 2010, Kane Williamson has been New Zealand's leading run-scorer in away Tests, scoring more than half his runs overseas. In five Tests played in the calendar year, prior to this series, Kane Williamson had scored 583 runs at an average of more than 60. In four innings here, he has managed 69 runs. With Tom Latham and Ross Taylor finding form, a big innings from Williamson could give New Zealand a decisive advantage.
One of the cogs of Pakistan's recent domination has been the solid starts provided by Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez. With both batsmen out due to injuries, Pakistan were forced to put together a new pair in Shan Masood and Taufeeq Umar. While Umar failed in both innings, Masood scored a 40 in the second innings. Pakistan will hope both batsmen can find form in Sharjah but will also be aware that Azhar Ali has contributed to two fifty-plus stands in the last two games in which he has opened.
Team news
New Zealand have opted to bring in Vettori in place of Jimmy Neesham, who has had scores of 11, 0, 17 and 11 in the series so far.
New Zealand (probable) 1. Tom Latham, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Mark Craig, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Tim Southee 11 Trent Boult
Pakistan could make one change, bringing in Imran Khan in place of Ehsan Adil
Pakistan(probable) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Ehsan Adil/Imran Khan, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Rahat Ali
Pitch and conditions
Coaches of both sides have acknowledged they expect the track at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is expected to be low and slow. In the pre-match press conference, Brendon McCullum said: "There's no grass on it... It looks glassy". The side winning the toss can be expected to bat first as McCullum stressed that doing so provides the best opportunity for a win. When asked if he would put Pakistan in to bat, along the lines of his intriguing declaration in the second Test, McCullum quipped: "There's bravery and then there's stupidity."
The weather is expected to be dry and hot for the duration of the Test.
The weather is expected to be dry and hot for the duration of the Test.
Stats and trivia
- One of the last instances of New Zealand fielding three spinners in a Test came in 1998 against Sri Lanka in Colombo, where the side's spin attack included offspinner Paul Wiseman and left-arm spinners Vettori and Mark Priest.
- Daniel Vettori is set to become New Zealand's most capped Test player. He is currently tied with Stephen Fleming (111 games) on that list. Overall, Vettori's career tally of 112 games includes one for the ICC World XI.
- Pakistan's highest score at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is 493 against West Indies in 2002. However, they have also been dismissed twice in one game for scores of 59 and 53 at the ground against Australia, also in 2002.
Quotes
"He's very much in the Kane Williamson mode as a type of analytical batsman who can work out the situation of what's unfolding in the middle and devise a simple game plan and stick to it.
Brendon McCullum is impressed with Tom Latham's ability to handle match situations and his level-headed temperament.
"We have played quite a bit of cricket here, one-dayers and Tests and we are sure we are going to do well here but we are not going to do anything different from what we did in the first two Tests."
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis insists his side are on the right track despite their draw in Dubai.
Rachna Shetty is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo