Pakistan vs New Zealand, 1st Test, Day 4

Pakistan made a pudding of a 176-run target, falling short by 4 runs against New Zealand in a dramatic loss on Day 4 of the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

Ajaz Patel starred on debut with five wickets in the fourth innings, adding to the two wickets in the first innings, to spark a dramatic collapse.

Ajaz Patel provided the first breakthrough of the day, when he got fast-scoring Imam-ul-Haq out LBW.

Ish Sodhi set the cat among the pigeons by picking two in the next over. With Mohammad Hafeez and Haris Sohail out, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq built an 82-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking Pakistan to safer shores.

Shafiq's dismissal on the stroke of lunch triggered an epic meltdown. Pakistan lost Babar Azam to a run out soon after the lunch break and Sarfraz Ahmed's catastrophic sweep found them reeling at six down.

Bilal Asif's wild swipe got him bowled on duck, and the next batsmen Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali couldn't add to the scoreboard either, leaving Azhar Ali solely in charge of the run-chase with a wicket in hand.

Azhar Ali was the last wicket to fall, out for 65, to hand New Zealand a narrow four-run win in Abu Dhabi.

New Zealand, as a result, defended their second-lowest score in Test cricket.