Daniel Vettori rues missed opportunities as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 endure another series loss against Pakistan
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori is a disappointed man after losing the Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755; it was another loss for the hosts in an international series which has further dampened their spirits. The
Black Caps have gone from bad to worse in recent months and this loss has not gone down well with Vettori, who has decided to quit the captaincy in the longest format of the game.
At the end of the second Test, which ended in a stalemate after the hosts failed to dislodge Pakistan on the last day, Vettori stated that the stunning batting collapse in the Hamilton Test led to the series defeat.
"The reason we lost the series was because of our third innings with the bat in Hamilton," Vettori said. "I thought we played really well yesterday to give ourselves a chance. We wanted to get a 270 score because
we knew that would always be difficult out here, so to set that to win was a good effort."
Vettori felt that the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 and Younis Khan, who played defiantly after the tourists had lost three quick wickets
in their chase of 274 runs for a win. The left-arm spinner, who scored 110 runs in the first innings, besides claiming 4 wickets with the match, claimed that his team was confident of doing well in the limited over series despite the loss in the longest format.
"Misbah and Younis was the key partnership," Vettori said. "They're obviously very experienced players and they know their game pretty well. The wicket was good and we just couldn't get that breakthrough early
enough. I think even when we got Younis before tea there was a sniff there, but we just needed to keep getting those breakthroughs and into their inexperienced middle and lower order, but we didn't get them."
"Obviously we're on a bad run of losses," he added. "We're comfortable playing in New Zealand. It won't mean much in terms of performance because the grounds and the pitches will be so different [in the World
Cup]. But if the guys can walk away from this series with a series win and some form, they'll go to the World Cup in a better space."
On the other hand, Pakistan coach, legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis, was a delighted man after the series win which was the first for the team since their 2-0 win at home against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 in 2006-07.
The team was led astutely by Misbah-ul-Haq who had a Bradmanesque series scoring three half centuries in the three innings he batted including a 99. He was named man-of-the-match after he scored 70 not out to take his series tally to 231 in three innings,
and picked up the Man-of-the-Series award as well.
Waqar added that the captain, who at the age of 36 looks in the form of his life, worked extremely hard on his game and proved his detractors - who had claimed that he was a spent force - wrong.
His average since taking over the leadership is 112.75 in four Tests. "For some [becoming Test captain] goes wrong and for some it brings a lot of luck," Waqar said. "He's been playing good, defensive but positive
cricket."
The two teams now have their sights set on the 6-match ODI series that started in Wellington. The series is the last chance for preparations for both teams before the 2011 World Cup starts in February.
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