Youngster Akmal impresses Black Caps

Umar Akmal made a great second impression on New Zealand's bowling attack during his test cricket debut but Shane Bond is confident the teenager's impact can be curbed for the remainder of the three-match series against Pakistan.

The 19-year-old was on the verge of completing a rare double - a century in each innings - and had he done so Pakistan would likely have been celebrating victory at Dunedin's University Oval yesterday .

Akmal displayed both sides of his batsmanship in what promises to be the first test of a lengthy career in Pakistan's middle order.

Last Thursday he showed scant regard for his side's predicament at 85 for five by launching a high-risk counter- attack that eventually reaped him 129 from 160 deliveries, a boundary-laced knock responsible for reducing New Zealand's first innings lead to 97.

Then yesterday with Pakistan wobbling at 24 for three in pursuit of 251 on the final afternoon, Akmal was mature beyond years, apparently ageing over the previous 48 hours to construct a painstaking 75 from 174 balls.

Yes, there was slog sweep six off Daniel Vettori, but in the main Akmal was content to push the gaps and rotate the strike with Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and his elder brother Kamran.

Fortunately for New Zealand, fast bowler Bond finally uncovered a defect and Akmal pushed an uppish drive down the wicket for the fast bowler to clutch at head height.

Only two test cricketers have opened their careers with hundreds in each innings, while Akmal became the ninth to craft a century and half-century.

"To nearly get them home was a hell of an effort," Bond admitted after picking up the prodigy in both innings.

"All credit to a guy in his first test, especially under pressure."

However, New Zealand's bowling spearhead felt the right-hander could be prevented from exerting such an influence on the second test starting at the Basin Reserve here on Thursday.

Bond first encountered Akmal during the three-match one-day series in Abu Dhabi this month, where he averaged 10.50 in two innings with a best of 12.

"He's a serious player but he's aggressive and, as a bowler, he's going to offer you a chance."

Bond was unlucky twice when Akmal was 15 runs into his hundred because an edge fell safely after an awkward attempt to evade a bouncer, then Daniel Flynn grassed a sharp chance in the gully.

In Pakistan's second innings New Zealand changed their approach when Akmal was on strike as more fielders were positioned on the boundaries - a trap for when Bond, Martin and Iain O'Brien dug the ball in short.

Bond suggested the tactic would be maintained in Wellington, reasoning that sooner or later Akmal could not resist the pull or hook shot.

"We're looking forward to bowling to him on a wicket with a bit more bounce," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have bolstered their batting stocks by summoning Misbah-ul-Haq to Wellington.

The 35-year-old is likely to walk straight into a rearranged top order. He averages 37.86 from an intermittent 15-test career and is considered a safe pair of hands in the slips cordon.

Pakistan shelled five catches behind the wicket in Dunedin, and Imran Farhat, the likely fall guy, was responsible for four of them.

- NZPA