Cricket: Three bowlers carry Black Caps' batting hopes

Ish Sodhi (pictured) and Mark Craig resume on 27 runs apiece. Photo / Getty Images.

The New Zealand cricket team is in the awkward position on the final day of the first test against Pakistan where only three players - all specialist bowlers - can further influence the match with the bat.

Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig resume on 27 runs apiece but enter Sheikh Zayed Stadium knowing they have batted as well as anyone, bar perhaps Brendon McCullum, in the second innings.

No amount of throwdowns will help anyone but them and Trent Boult.

The visitors are 174 for eight in their second innings after Pakistan set 480 for victory.
The collapse of the top order has already formed part of the fourth day post-mortem and will be pored over in detail before the second test.

Apart from Tom Latham's maiden test century, no one has passed 48 and the total of five wickets equals the least taken by a New Zealand team against Pakistan.

However, that will be far from the minds of Craig, Sodhi and Boult who carry the team's hopes.

Sodhi acknowledged the daunting task.

"We'll try to make as many amends as we can but we're not really in a position to win. Prolonging is the goal. We've just got to apply ourselves for longer periods. We are capable, like in Sri Lanka and the West Indies, when we played long innings against high quality spinners."

The 22-year-old leg spinner has proven a useful batsman in nine tests, averaging 19.82 from 12 innings and passing 20 in half of them before this effort. His top score of 58 came against Bangladesh last October.

"I know we'll be surrounded [by close-in fielders] but it's a bit different at this time in the game. You don't expect too much intimidation compared with a ball aimed at your head at 150km/h."

Craig has also fashioned a credible batting record since debuting in the West Indies this year. He averaged 43 prior to this innings, including a top score of 67, although the sample size was only six innings, three of which were not outs.

With their tendency to apply themselves, both shape as contenders to overleap the mercurial No.8 Tim Southee in the order any time soon.

ANDREW ALDERSON TRAVELLED TO THE UAE COURTESY OF EMIRATES