Pakistan to bowl as rain threatens New Zealand Test

HAMILTON: Pakistan won the toss and put New Zealand into bat on a green wicket and under heavy cloud cover as rain threatened to disrupt the second Test in Hamilton on Friday. The umpires delayed the toss for 15 minutes and the covers remained on as they waited for the persistent, light drizzle to ease. Scattered rain is forecast throughout the first four days of the match. New Zealand, who won the first Test in Christchurch by eight wickets, have made two changes with Matt Henry in for the injured Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner replacing Todd Astle. With the pitch promising bounce and swing Pakistan have taken the rare step of leaving out spinner Yasir Shah to play four seamers, adding Wahab Riaz to their line up. "It's hard leaving out Yasir but when you see the conditions you have to play four seamers," stand-in captain Azhar Ali said. Mohammad Rizwan is added to the batting line-up for unavailable skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who has returned home because his father-in-law is critically ill. New Zealand require only a draw in Hamilton to secure their first series win over Pakistan in more than 30 years, while Pakistan need a win to square the series and extend their two-year streak of having not lost a series. New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson (capt), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan Umpires: Simon Fry (AUS), Sundaram Ravi (IND) TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG) Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS). - AFP