Sarfraz Ahmed struck a defiant century before Pakistan's spinners wrecked New Zealand's top and middle order to leave the second Test in Dubai nicely poised on Thursday. New Zealand had reduced Pakistan to 287 for eight and appeared on course for a healthy first innings lead, but Sarfraz (112) added 81 runs for the last wicket with Rahat Ali to dash their hopes.
New Zealand's batting tail wagged to take them to 403 in their first innings before they returned to dismiss Pakistan's openers on the second day of the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal scythed through Pakistan's batting order to pick up his first five-wicket haul as the visitors were bundled out for 138 on the opening day of the second test on Thursday.
Mominul Haque struck a patient 80 before falling to the final delivery of the day as Bangladesh capitalised on poor Pakistan fielding to reach 236 for four on the opening day of the first Test in Khulna on Tuesday.
Pakistan are two wickets away from a comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the first Test after the tourists slumped to 174-8 in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
David Warner's third consecutive Test century could not stop Pakistan from taking control of the first Test against Australia on Friday after the tourists squandered a strong start and were all out for 303 in their first innings.
Ahmed Shehzad's impressive form continued as he struck an unbeaten 98 to help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs and wrap up the Twenty20 series in the second match at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Sri Lanka needed a little over 26 overs to chase down a 153-run victory target for a series-levelling seven-wicket victory in the second Test against Pakistan on Monday.
Pakistan's Test stalwart Younis Khan, who led the national team to its only World T20 title in 2009, remained unsold while captain Misbah-ul Haq was snapped up by the Islamabad franchise on the first day of the Players' Draft for the Pakistan Super League, on Monday.
Joe Root made a half-century as England rallied to 130 for three at the close of the fourth day of the second Test, in Dubai, on Sunday, 360 runs behind Pakistan after the hosts' Younis Khan had made a swaggering 31st Test century.
A defiant fifth-wicket stand of 74 between Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq ensured Pakistan secured a draw in the second Test against New Zealand on Friday to maintain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Tom Latham struck his maiden Test century but New Zealand crumbled to 262 all out, conceding a 304-run first-innings lead as well as control of the first Test to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Pakistan's spinners scythed through Australia's top order in the second innings to get them close to victory in the first Test after twin centuries from Younus Khan and youngster Ajmal Shehzad helped the hosts set an improbable target.
Tamim Iqbal scored a double century and Imrul Kayes 150 in a record opening stand of 312 as Bangladesh overhauled a huge first innings deficit to force a draw with Pakistan in the opening Test at Khulna on Saturday.
Alastair Cook completed the third-longest innings in Test history and the longest by an Englishman as his side ended on 569-8 on the fourth day of the first Test on Friday, 46 runs ahead of Pakistan.
With two days remaining and 17 wickets still potentially to fall, a draw looks the probable outcome, although Wahab Riaz's removal of Bell (63) and Mark Wood (4) in successive overs near the close again put the hosts in the ascendancy.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took six second-innings wickets in Pakistan's crushing 133-run second Test win over West Indies in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as they took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. - Scorecard: The wily spinner finished with 6-124 to secure his second ten-wicket haul in Test cricket after claiming four wickets in the first innings as West Indies were bowled out for 322 before tea on a weary fifth and final day pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Australia captain Michael Clarke said his team would be fired up by defeat in the first Test against Pakistan but clearly needed to improve in all facets of the game to square the series later this week.
Sarfraz Ahmed's belligerent century powered Pakistan to a strong 454 in their first innings on the second day of the first Test against Australia on Thursday.
Pakistan have axed senior batsman Younis Khan for next month's One-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates as they announced their ODI and Twenty20 squads on Wednesday.
Pakistan selectors will have no surprises in store when they announce the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka on the next 48 hours apart from recalling talented opener Ahmed Shehzad.
Pakistan retained under-fire skipper Misbah-ul Haq and out-of-form Muhammad Hafeez, but dropped tall left-arm pacer Muhammad Irfan from the 28-man probables' list for the two-Test series against South Africa.
Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes produced a record 273-run partnership in an unbroken opening stand to help Bangladesh whittle down Pakistan's huge lead to 23 runs at the close of the penultimate day of the opening Test at Khulna on Friday.
Having set the visitors an impossible 603-run victory target, Pakistan claimed the remaining six wickets in a little over a session on the final day to secure their first Test series victory against Australia in 20 years.
Part-time off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took two wickets without conceding a run in the last over as Australia edged Pakistan in a low-scoring thriller to win the third and final one-day international by one run in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Steve Smith cracked his maiden 50-over century as Australia routed Pakistan in 36.3 overs to secure a comprehensive 93-run victory in the first One-day International on Tuesday.
Joe Root's unbeaten half-century helped stuttering England reach 182 for three at the close on the second day of the second Test on Friday after Pakistan's seam and spin attack ran through the tourists' top order.
Sri Lanka took the upper hand after the third day of the opening Test at Galle on Friday, reducing Pakistan to 118-5 after Kaushal Silva's second Test century took the hosts to 300 in their first innings.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has warned his team to beware a backlash from a wounded Australia in the second and final Test in Abu Dhabi starting on Thursday.
Organisers are confident West Indies will take part at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand early next year despite the crisis caused by their withdrawal from the tour of India earlier this month.
Australia's batsmen need to concentrate as much on hitting the straight ball as worrying about movement when they face Pakistan's spinners in the ongoing Test series, coach Darren Lehmann has said.
The International Cricket Council released the provisional squads of the 12 teams for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on Friday. However, co-hosts Australia and minnows Ireland decided against releasing the provisional list although they submitted 30 names to the parent body within the stipulated deadline.
Virat Kohli was unquestionably the top player, but the most valuable player index (MVPI) suggests that Shakib Al Hasan had an equally good World T20 even though his team Bangladesh fared poorly.
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