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After New Zealand gave Pakistan a lofty goal of 319 to win the second Test in Karachi, Pakistan got off to a horrible start by losing two wickets without scoring on Thursday.

Tim Southee, the captain, dismissed Pakistan’s second innings opener Abdullah Shafique with the first delivery, while Ish Sodhi bowled night watchman Mir Hamza in the final over of the fourth day.

Imam-ul-Haq was stunned to find himself at the crease without contributing when the game ended. The home team needed 319 runs to win, or 8 wickets to hold out for a draw.

After losing 1-0 to Australia and 3-0 to England earlier this season, a loss would be their third home series loss of the year.

No side has ever had to chase down more than 314, which the host team faced Australia in Karachi 1994, in order to win a Test in Pakistan.

Ten minutes before the end of the second innings, New Zealand declared on 277-5, with Tom Blundell scoring 74 and Michael Bracewell hitting a career-high 74 not out.

The duo changed the course of the game during their game changing 127-run fifth wicket stand.

By eliminating Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41) and Henry Nicholls at lunch, Pakistan had New Zealand struggling at 128-4 from 76-1 and the match was under control (five).

However, Blundell punished the home team with seven boundaries and a six before holing out off Agha Salman after being dropped on 21 by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Sarfaraz also dropped Bracewell on 59 off Salman, who had a previous best of 49 against England earlier this year.

New Zealand lost three wickets in the post-lunch session in a span of 50 balls and 14 runs.

Abrar Ahmed successfully caught Latham off Naseem Shah’s mistimed flick at short mid-wicket.

In the following over, with the total still at 114, Ahmed trapped Williamson leg-before. Soon after, Nicholls was caught by Hasan Ali as New Zealand lost three wickets for 14 runs off of 50 balls.

Three of the rulings made by field umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar were overturned, which was a terrible day for them.

In the second over of their innings, New Zealand was startled when Mir Hamza struck Conway with his first pitch.

In his 12-game Test career, it was Conway’s first loss without a goal.

When Williamson was on seven and nine, Pakistan squandered two leg-before referrals on him, and then Latham reversed a decision against him on 36 — all off Ahmed.

In response to New Zealand’s 449 first-innings total, Pakistan was bowled for 408 runs at the start of the day after only adding one run to their overnight total.

Centurion Saud Shakeel was left stranded on the other end after spinner Ish Sodhi trapped last man Ahmed leg-before for nothing.

After 493 laborious rounds at the wicket and 17 limits in his debut hundred, Shakeel was top-ranking on 125.

The first game of the two-game series, which also took place in Karachi, was drawn.