DUBAI: Leg-spinner Yasir Shah wrecked New Zealand with a career-best eight-wicket haul as Pakistan sniffed victory on the third day of the second Test in Dubai on Monday.
The 32-year-old grabbed 8-41 in 12.3 overs which annihilated New Zealand to 90 all out in just 35.3 overs before taking two more wickets as New Zealand — following on — were 131-2 at close in their second innings.
Yasir dismissed opener Jeet Raval for two before accounting for New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson caught behind for 30 to complete his third ten-wicket haul in the match.
Tom Latham (44) and Ross Taylor (49) were at the crease at close as New Zealand need another 197 runs to avoid an innings defeat while Pakistan can level the series by taking another eight wickets with two days to play.
New Zealand won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by four runs last week to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Taylor has hit six boundaries and a six in his return-to-form innings while Latham has hit three boundaries as the two have added 65 for the unbroken third wicket stand to take the fight to the Pakistan bowlers.
But the day belonged to Yasir, who rocked New Zealand in the first innings.
He also became the first Pakistani to take ten wickets in a single day, ninth in the world with England’s left-arm spinner Johnny Briggs doing it twice.
“When I was coming to the ground I was thinking that I must get ten wickets in the match, but never thought it will come in a single day,” said Yasir.
“I came from injury and didn’t get the needed rhythm against Australia (last month) but now I am getting it and very happy to achieve this feat,” said Yasir.
Rain had delayed the start of the third day by an hour but when the action started Yasir was lightening, bowling to his best ability on a turning Dubai stadium pitch.
Yasir dismissed Latham (22), Taylor (nought) and Henry Nicholls (nought) in his ninth over, triggering a collapse during which New Zealand lost all their ten wickets for just 40 runs after being well set on 50 without loss.
Yasir’s bowling figures — his 15th five-wicket haul — beat his previous best of 7-76 against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2015 and also the best against New Zealand.
Intikhab Alam (7-52) held the record for Pakistan’s best bowling against New Zealand, achieved at Dunedin in 1973.
New Zealand, resuming at 27 without loss, lost Raval in an unfortunate way as he tried to reverse sweep Yasir but the ball deflected off his bat to his thigh and hit the stumps.
Raval top-scored with 31.
From 50-1 it became 61-2 when Yasir had Latham caught at short-leg by Imam-ul-Haq off the first ball of his ninth over.
Two balls later he bowled experienced Taylor with a beautiful delivery that turned and beat the forward push by the batsman.
Off his fifth ball Yasir bowled Nicholls through the gap between bat and pad.
It was Yasir who ran Bradley-John Watling run out soon after lunch for one before dismissing Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel and Trent Boult — all without scoring in the space of nine balls.
Six New Zealand batsmen fell without scoring, making it the fifth occasion in a Test when six batsmen failed to score in an innings.
Williamson remained unbeaten on 28, watching wickets fell like nine pins at the other end.
With Sodhi’s wicket Yasir also completed 100 wickets in 16 Tests in United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Sharja and Abu Dhabi).
The third Test will be played in Abu Dhabi from December 3.
Pakistan sniff win as Yasir spin destroys New Zealand
Pakistan sniff win as Yasir spin destroys New Zealand
Dembélé stars as PSG crushes bitter rival Marseille 5-0 to regain top spot in Ligue 1
- The win restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place behind Lyon after the humiliating defeat
PARIS: Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé starred with two goals and an assist as Paris Saint-Germain crushed bitter rival Marseille 5-0 to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
The win restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place behind Lyon after the humiliating defeat.
“We wanted to send a message that we’re back,” Dembélé said after PSG’s biggest winning margin against Marseille.
“It was almost perfect,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s an important day for our fans because we made history, 5-0 never happened before.”
Despite PSG’s attacking flair, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi’s choices will be scrutinized following a truly dismal performance from his side lacking composure and fight. Marseille was eliminated from the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat against Club Brugge less than two weeks ago.
“Once again, I say sorry to the fans,” De Zerbi said. “I’m not in the players’ heads. I thought we had prepared well for this game but clearly not. We need to understand why we played this way in Bruges and here.”
Top scorer Mason Greenwood, fellow forward Amine Gouiri and new signing Ethan Nwaneri were anonymous in attack, with veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench.
De Zerbi dropped goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli after a couple of poor performances and replaced him with Jeffrey de Lange, who was out of sorts, albeit not helped by his defense.
De Lange was easily beaten when Dembélé side-footed in a cross from left back Nuno Mendes in the 12th minute following a quick break launched by Désiré Doué.
However, PSG could have been down to 10 players before then. Midfielder Vitinha caught defender Leonardo Balerdi’s ankle with a late tackle but escaped with a yellow card.
Having denied Bradley Barcola with a fine low save, De Lange was beaten again in the 37th when Dembélé profited from a glaring error from Balerdi.
He let the ball through his legs on PSG’s right flank, allowing Dembélé to attack the penalty area, dribble past him and find the roof of the net.
“We can’t accept this, we don’t come here to play like this,” said Balerdi, who did not mention his own performance. “We were not good enough and you could see it. Against such a team you pay for it.”
Marseille’s weak defense cracked in 10 second-half minutes, with Facundo Medina scoring an own-goal over the head of De Lange, and Dembélé setting up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a clinical volley before Lee Kang-in slotted home the fifth.
Marseille’s 1-0 win over PSG in September will seem like a distant memory.
Fans closely watched
PSG fans were in the spotlight after last season’s match at Parc des Princes was marred by homophobic and racist chanting, with a warning to “stop discriminatory chants” posted on the giant screen.
There were brief discriminatory chants about Marseille at the start of the game and referee Willy Delajod stopped play for about one minute around the 70th, at which point a message was posted on the big screen.
Köhn gets away with blunder
Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn got away with a blunder in a 0-0 draw at Nice in the French Riviera derby.
Köhn stopped the ball going out for a corner but slid and mis-kicked it to attacking midfielder Sofiane Diop on the edge of the penalty area in the 72nd minute. Diop’s curling shot was going in until defender Thilo Kehrer acrobatically heeled the ball away.
Folarin Balogun hit the crossbar for Monaco in the third minute.
Other matches
Veteran striker Ciro Immobile drew a blank on his league debut for Paris FC in a 0-0 draw at Auxerre.
During the 2019-20 season he finished as the “Capocannoniere” (top scorer) in the Italian league with 36 goals for Lazio and has scored 304 goals overall at club level.
Immobile played forward Jonathan Ikoné clean through during the second half, but Ikoné’s shot was saved.
Angers moved up to ninth after beating Toulouse 1-0 thanks to a brilliant lob from defender Lilian Raolisoa from nearly 40 meters out in the 89th.
Le Havre moved up to 13th after winning 2-1 at home to Strasbourg.
Lens beat Rennes 3-1 on Saturday.
