DUBAI // Finally, the opposition have turned up. A month after Pakistan swapped green clothes and crises for whites and serenity, they have run into a contest.
It is about time, too. For all the gloriousness of the rise of Pakistan’s lovable everymen, we have had enough of one-sidedness.
Monopolies are rarely healthy, and Test cricket could do with New Zealand making a fight of this series.
They did exactly that on Day 1 at the Dubai International Stadium. Propped up by a fine century by Tom Latham, the 22-year-old opener, the tourists showed the sort of backbone which had been so curiously absent amongst Antipodean batsmen of late.
Aside from one moment of rashness from their captain, Brendon McCullum, they were watchful, patient and generally competent.
And, perhaps more pertinently, they learned how to call a coin toss correctly.
McCullum had said on the eve of this game that winning the toss did not equal winning the match, but acknowledged it might shorten the odds.
When he called “heads” correctly half an hour before the start, his countenance visibly lifted. No doubt his fellow players were happy to have first use of a pristine, dry wicket, too.
“Even though you have won the toss, it doesn’t guarantee you anything,” Craig McMillan, the New Zealand batting coach, said after the close.
“What it does means is that you have a good day and you play well, it can put you ahead in the game.
“We have laid a platform, but there is still a lot of hard work to do.”
Peculiarly, having lost the previous match by 248 runs, the New Zealanders had opted to stick with the same XI, while their conquerors made three changes.
Two were enforced. Both the openers Ahmed Shazhad and Mohammed Hafeez – who contributed 373 runs between them in Abu Dhabi – succumbed to injury, replaced by Shan Masood and Taufeeq Umar.
Hafeez has already been conspicuous by his absence. With two leg-spinners and a left-arm orthodox bowler left, Pakistan had nobody to spin the ball away from the left-handed Latham.
The hosts generally looked a bowler short all day, and it was perhaps no surprise that newcomer Ehsan Adil, the seamer who was preferred to Imran Khan, posed the biggest threat.
With five Tests being played over the course of 41 days, the workload for Pakistan’s bowling attack is hefty.
Adil, fresh from just a few low-key games with Pakistan A, took the wicket of McCullum, burned both DRS appeals with close lbw shouts, and also had Latham dropped by Azhar Ali in the gully on 103.
Three wickets may be a meagre return in comparison to their recent gluttony, but Pakistan are not panicking yet.
“[New Zealand] haven’t really gotten away with the game yet,” said Masood, who took a sharp catch at silly mid-off to dismiss Ross Taylor off Yasir Shah’s bowling.
“They only managed to score about 80 runs per session, so we have kept it tight. Hopefully if we can get a few wickets in the morning we might have an edge in this game.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Points Classification
1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 63
2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 38
3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 25
4. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy / Bahrain) 24
5. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Dimension Data) 22
6. Taylor Phinney (U.S. / Cannondale) 21
7. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20
8. Thomas Boudat (France / Direct Energie) 20
9. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17
10. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 17
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
