IN almost two days of muted display of batting, two of Pakistan batsmen scored a century each to allow a declaration to try and force a result in a series where the home side are trailing.

I would have been happier to see Pakistan go past a score of 500-plus before a declaration and that would have been possible if they had a lot more positive approach to the game.

The declaration, I suppose, was neither here nor there, which I fear may not produce a desired result that is of bowling New Zealand out cheaply.

I noticed no urgency in the method applied by the Pakistan batsmen to accelerate the proceedings. Had they managed 500, it may have given Pakistan a lot more purpose to their declaration.

Both Haris Sohail and Babar Azam appeared more at ease in staying at the wicket to pick up runs in singles and twos rather than going all out on the attack after having settled down well.

The more they tried the harder they were restricted by a well-backed bowling attack of which the workhorse, Neil Wagner, was the spearhead churning out an unstoppable spell along with Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme and with spinners Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel resting them.

The boredom of two wicket-less sessions no doubt also played on the minds of the visiting bowlers who found the going tough on a wicket of slow pace, not giving much response to either pace or spin.

Sodhi seemed to extract some turn off the pitch but not enough really to beat the batsmen who were no ready to take undue risks. Very rarely Haris or Babar struck the ball with authority except two sixes that we witnessed sailed into the stands by the latter.

This venue has a reputation though to suddenly change a dull game into an exciting one in the last two and half days and I shall not be surprised if today’s day three of this Test match takes a different route if Pakistan bowlers make an early breakthrough.

In a contest in any sport, a game is won and lost through serious or ill-conceived moves. In cricket it is all the more important because of the fact that it is game of long duration when it comes to Test matches.

This is where temperament, skill and tactics comes into play much more, the reason why it is called a Test match.

Any false move or any ill-conceived idea bounces back on you then in a close contest as the one we experienced in the first Test loss at Abu Dhabi.

For Pakistan, to succeed in this match is it is of utmost importance to not only snatch the initiative early, when play resumes today and to grab a couple of quick wickets to let Mohammad Abbas and the rest of the bowlers find inroads on a pitch which may start to behave in quite a manner as is its reputation in all the result-oriented matches here.

No doubt Abbas and Yasir Shah are expected to clinch that initiative if Pakistan are to get anywhere in this match.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2018