Babar Azam explains the shock announcement

Pakistan declared late after the fifth day with only about 15 overs to play and set New Zealand a target of 138. The shock declaration opened the Test match as the visitors went all guns blazing to chase the target.

However, the game had to be stopped early because of bad light in the middle of the eighth inning. Although Pakistan could only pick up one wicket before the Test ended in a draw, Babar stated that he wanted to take a “chance”.

Saud Shakeel, who was in the middle of a half-century, was a bit taken aback by the skipper’s shock.

“We said we are going for the result,” Babar said after the match. “We took a chance, you never know. That’s cricket. Anything can happen.

“Saudi and [Mohammad] Wasim Junior’s partnership was vital for us as it brought us into the game. That gave me the idea that we could declare.

“You’ve all been enjoying it too, and it took everyone by surprise. We thought we’d take a risk because anything can happen.”

Pakistan failed to get the early wicket group they were looking for in the call. However, New Zealand took the bait to make quick runs and threatened to run down the goal before bad light cut short the game.

“Sometimes you have to make bold decisions and take risks,” Babar said.

“As a team and as a captain, I try to do that. You plan for a result, even though you can’t guarantee it.”

Pakistan ended the year winless in home Tests, avoiding a fifth successive defeat at home in Karachi, but the skipper acknowledged New Zealand’s dominance of the Test.

“We don’t need to play different cricket,” Babar said. “We have to take things one session at a time and one day at a time.

“We have to be positive and play aggressively. We will work on that. Everyone has a different game and mindset. We have to credit New Zealand with the way they played and dominated.”