In the ongoing first Test match against Pakistan at the Karachi National Stadium on Wednesday, New Zealand opener Tom Latham scored an incredible 113 runs, marking his 13th Test century. In terms of most tonnes as a Kiwi opener, Latham eclipsed John Wright, who had 12 hundreds to his credit for the national team.
Latham needed 120 innings after his 2014 Test debut to reach the mark. Following Wright in order of most century scored by a New Zealand opener are Glenn Turner (seven), Matt Horne (four), and MH Richardson (four).
Abrar Ahmed, a mysterious spinner, interestingly dismissed Latham just before lunch for 113 runs off 191 balls, including 10 boundaries.
Pakistan displayed a magnificent performance in the game, scoring 438 runs in their first innings. Thanks to the captain Babar Azam’s (161 runs) and Agha Salman’s (103 runs) centuries, the team was able to post a substantial total.
Tom Latham made headlines with his stunning knock
In response, the foreign team took complete control early on as Devon Conway and Tom Latham batted with assurance against the Pakistani bowling staff. Prior to Nauman Ali dismissing Conway for 92 runs in their first innings, the opening pair accumulated 183 runs for the first wicket.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, is now out due to the virus he contracted and was unable to play on Day 3 of the upcoming first Test against New Zealand in Karachi. Sarfaraz Ahmed took over the leadership duties in his absence.
Against the Kiwis, Sarfaraz made his first appearance in a Test match in nearly four years. At the beginning of the day’s play, Mohammad Rizwan entered the field as a substitute fielder. Both parties will be anxious to have the outcome go in their favour.
It should be noted that neither team is competing for a berth in the 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship’s championship match. In any event, Pakistan will try to bounce back from their recent losses in the longest format and claim a victory.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.