Reinforcement summoned by Pakistan

NZPA

Last updated 08:01 29/11/2009

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Pakistan's Mohammad Amer celebrates the his bowling of New Zealand opener Martin Guptill for a duck on the fourth day of the first cricket test in Dunedin.

Pakistan's Mohammad Amer celebrates the lbw dismissal of New Zealand's Daniel Flynn for a duck on the fourth day of the first cricket test in Dunedin.

New Zealand's Shane Bond is clapped off the field by his teammates after taking five wickets in Pakistan's first innings of the first test in Dunedin.

New Zealand's Shane Bond takes the wicket of Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf caught and bowled during the third day's play in the first cricket test in Dunedin.

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum appeals successfully for the dismissal of Pakistan's Umar Gul on the third day of the first cricket test in Dunedin.

New Zealand's Shane Bond delivers during the third day's play in the first cricket test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

New Zealand's Shane Bond celebrates taking the wicket of Pakistan's Umar Akmal during the third day's play of the first cricket test in Dunedin.

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal celebrates his debut test match century innings as he hugs his brother Kamran Akmal (right) during the third day's play in the first cricket test against New Zealand in Dunedin.

Black Caps Grant Elliott (right) and Iain O'Brien combine to cut off a shot on the boundary during the third day's play in the first cricket test in Dunedin.

Daniel Vettori appeals successfully for an lbw decision to dismiss Pakistan batsman Umar Gul during the third day's play in the first cricket test in Dunedin.

A combination shot of New Zealand's Brendon McCullum being bowled and Pakistan's Umar Gul celebrating during the second day of the first test in Dunedin.

Pakistan's Umar Gul celebrates bowling New Zealand's Brendon McCullum on the second day of the first test in Dunedin.

Shane Bond takes evasive action from a short delivery during the second day's play in the first cricket test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori receives treatment to a neck injury during his innings of 99 on the second day of the first test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori on attack during his innings 99 on the second day of the first test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

Pakistan's Umar Gul celebrates as Daniel Vettori departs

Pakistan's Mohammad Asif (left) bowls New Zealand's Peter Fulton for 29 on the first day of the first cricket test at University Oval in Dunedin.

New Zealand batsman Tim McIntosh is cleaned bowled from the first ball of the first cricket test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal fields off his own bowling against New Zealand on the first day of the first cricket test at University Oval, in Dunedin.

Dejected New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor walks off after being dismissed for 94 on the first day of the first cricket test against Pakistan in Dunedin.

Daniel Vettori with Pakistan captain Muhammad Yousuf

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Misbah-ul-Haq has been designated Pakistan cricket's Mr Fixit in the aftermath of New Zealand's victory in the first test in Dunedin yesterday.

The 35-year-old will join the tourists ahead of the second test starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington next Thursday where he will be entrusted with shoring up an inexperienced batting line-up and providing a safe pair of hands in the slips cordon.

He has been in standby to join the 17-man squad as a replacement for absentee skipper Younis Khan, but team management were holding off flying him over until they gauged their performance in the series opener.

The right-hander averages 37.86 during a sporadic 15-test career and is considered "a tremendous slip fielder".

Runmaking and catching were highlighted as two areas requiring improvement as Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam mulled over his side's dismissal for 218 when chasing a victory target of 251 on the final day at University Oval today.

Intikhab lamented five dropped catches in the slips over the course of a closely-fought test.

Opener Imran Farhat was responsible for four dropped catches, with the first innings miss on Daniel Vettori arguably the most costly.

The New Zealand skipper was dropped at first slip to the first ball he faced and made the most of his life by making 99 in the home side's 429 all out.

Martin Guptill was also a beneficiary of Farhat's butter fingers in the the first innings when 26 runs into his eventual 60.

"We dropped vital catches otherwise we wouldn't have been chasing 250," Intikhab said.

"We have to improve our fielding, especially the slip catching."

Farhat also failed as an opener, making scores of 22 and one.

Intikhab said teenage debutant Umar Akmal was downcast with his performance today despite adding 75 to his 129 in the first innings.

His demise when Pakistan were 56 shy of victory was a turning point but Intikhab said the 19-year-old should still feel proud of his contributions.

"He's extremely disappointed getting out at that stage. It would have been wonderful really to get a hundred in each innings and win the game for Pakistan.

"But I think the senior members have to get runs on the board. We have a bowling side to get New Zealand out."

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