Tim Southee has been left reflecting with some frustration on his New Zealand facet lacking out on a well-known Take a look at win and sequence victory in Pakistan, after ending up simply “one ball away” in a drawn second contest in Karachi.
The Black Caps had been concerned in an exhilarating end on Friday, with all 4 outcomes nonetheless potential earlier than the sunshine worsened to spoil a beautiful denouement.
However New Zealand, of their first tour to Pakistan for 19 years, in all probability felt most annoyed as that they had the hosts 9 wickets down and nonetheless needing one other 15 for victory at 9-304 when play was halted.
“We bought ourselves in, in all probability, positions to win each Exams,” Southee instructed reporters, additionally reflecting on final week’s first match which had additionally led to a draw after a beneficiant declaration from Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
“It was fairly robust going however the guys toiled away and we had been one ball away from a sequence victory. So, yeah, disappointing to stroll away (with a draw) and I am certain Pakistan are the identical.
“You toil away for 10 days, you stroll away and it is a drawn sequence. Quite a lot of good cricket was performed in and amongst these 10 days.”
Southee, who had himself made a difficult declaration on the penultimate night, noticed his facet bowl 90 overs earlier than the sport was deserted and had no regrets in regards to the timing of his name.
“It was a little bit of a balancing act to attempt to get the correct amount of overs left and the correct amount of runs,” he mentioned.
“And I suppose to get slightly dip at them [for 2.5 overs] final evening and getting them two (wickets) down was a fantastic begin.
“I suppose you all the time look again and there is methods you can enhance and you can get higher. However that was a choice we made on the time.
“The batters felt it wasn’t straightforward to simply exit and hit the ball, so it was a type of selections you needed to weigh up.”
At one level on Friday, New Zealand had Pakistan flailing at 5-80 however Sarfaraz Ahmed then gave the hosts actual hope with a counter-attacking hundred that briefly made them favorites with 52 nonetheless wanted and 4 wickets standing.
“Do not know if I fee attracts,” mentioned new skipper Southee with a rueful smile, when requested about being a part of such a dramatic finale.
“But it surely was an thrilling end. I hope that the folks watching loved the top there.
“It might’ve been higher to win however I suppose for the folks that had been watching, I hope it was thrilling.”
