Debutant Ajaz Patel (5/59) starred in New Zealand's 4 runs thrilling win over Pakistan in the first Test match in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan needed 176 runs to win the Test and at one stage they were 130/3 but Neil Wagner removed Asad Shafiq and trigger the collapse and Aiaz Patel picked four of last five wickets and finished with a fifer on debut and helped New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead.
On a batting track New Zealand opted to bat first but were bowled out for just 153 runs but their bowlers brought them back into the game as they bowled out Pakistan for just 227 runs and conceded only 74 runs lead. In the second innings New Zealand scored 249 runs and set a target of 176 runs for Pakistan which they couldn't chase down and lost the Test by just 4 runs. Ajaz Patel was named Man of the Match.
All the major stats and facts from the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Abu Dhabi :
4 - New Zealand's 4 runs win is their smallest win and overall fifth smallest win in terms of runs in Test cricket.
Smallest Test wins (By runs) -
West Indies - 1 run vs Australia at Adelaide, 1993
England - 2 runs vs Australia at Edgbaston, 2005
Australia - 3 runs vs England at Manchester, 1902
England - 3 runs vs Australia at Melbourne, 1982
New Zealand - 4 runs vs Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, 2018
Smallest Test wins for New Zealand (By runs) -
4 vs Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, 2018
7 vs Australia at Hobart, 2011
27 vs West Indies at Auckland, 2006
32 vs Pakistan at Dunedin, 2009
34 vs Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, 2011
4 - Pakistan have lost 4 of their last 6 Tests in UAE. They lost two Tests to Sri Lanka, one to West Indies and New Zealand each.
5/45 - Career best bowling figures in an innings for Hassan Ali in Test cricket. The previous best 4/51 came against England at Lord's this year in May.
5/59 - Ajaz Patel's bowling figures in the fourth innings of this Test - the fifth best bowling figures in an innings for New Zealand on Test debut.
Best bowling figures in an innings for New Zealand on Test debut -
6/41 - Colin de Grandhomme vs Pakistan at Christchurch, 2016
6/155 - Alex Moir vs England at Chirstchurch, 1951
6/168 - Fen Cresswell vs New Zealand at The Oval, 1949
5/55 - Tim Southee vs England at Napier, 2008
5/59 - Ajaz Patel vs Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, 2018
14 - Yasir Shah has taken 14 five wickets haul in just 31 Tests - the sixth most five wickets hauls for Pakistan in Test cricket.
Most five wickets haul for Pakistan in Test cricket -
25 - Wasim Akram
23 - Imran Khan
22 - Waqar Younis
15 - Abdul Qadir / Danish Kaneria
14 - Yasir Shah
152 - Neil Wagner became the eighth New Zealand bowler to take 150 or more Test wickets. He has taken 152 wickets at an average of 28.07 in 37 Tests.
Most Test wickets for New Zealand -
431 - Sir Richard Hadlee
361 - Daniel Vettori
233 - Chris Martin
220 - Tim Southee
219 - Trent Boult
218 - Chris Cairns
160 - Danny Morrison
152 - Neil Wagner
176 - Runs target is the second lowest target which New Zealand successfully defended in Test cricket. The lowest target is 137 which they defended against England at Wellington in 1978.
4021 - Asad Shafiq became the 11th Pakistan batsman to achieve the milestone of 4000 Test runs. He has scored 4021 runs at an average of 39.42 in 64 Tests with 11 hundreds and 21 fifties.
