Pakistan vs New Zealand Tests 2018 (UAE): NZ Win 2-1 — Yasir Shah 14/184 at Dubai, Ajaz Patel Debut 5/59 in 4-Run Thriller, Williamson 139, Yasir Fastest to 200 Test Wickets

New Zealand won the three-match Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in November-December 2018 by 2-1 — their first series win over Pakistan away from home since 1969 (49 years), their first in Asia since 2008, and their first in the UAE. Yasir Shah was Player of the Series with 29 wickets. 1st Test Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Nov 16-19): NZ won by 4 runs — one of the closest finishes in Test history. NZ 153 & 249; PAK 227 & 171. Ajaz Patel made his Test debut and took 5/59 in Pakistan's 2nd innings of 171 — Pakistan falling 4 runs short chasing 176. Player of the Match: Ajaz Patel. 2nd Test Dubai International Cricket Stadium (Nov 24-27): Pakistan won by innings and 16 runs. PAK 418/5d (Haris Sohail 147, Babar Azam 127*); NZ 90 & 312 (Ross Taylor 82, Henry Nicholls 77). Yasir Shah took 8/41 in NZ's 1st innings and 6/143 in their 2nd — match figures of 14/184, making him only the second Pakistan bowler (after Imran Khan) to take 14 wickets in a Test. He also became the first bowler since Anil Kumble in 1999 to take 10 wickets in a single day's play. During the series, Yasir broke Clarrie Grimmett's 82-year-old record by reaching 200 Test wickets in his 33rd Test — the fastest ever. Player of the Match: Yasir Shah. 3rd Test Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Dec 3-7): NZ won by 123 runs. NZ 274 (Williamson 89) & 353/7d (Williamson 139); PAK 348 & 156. Player of the Match: Kane Williamson. Williamson's 386 series runs led NZ's batting; Azhar Ali's 307 series runs led Pakistan. Ajaz Patel took 13 wickets across the series for NZ. Sarfraz Ahmed captained Pakistan; Kane Williamson captained New Zealand.

Ajaz Patel's Debut 5-For in a 4-Run Thriller: Abu Dhabi 1st Test

Ajaz Patel's Test debut at Abu Dhabi produced one of the most dramatic match finishes in recent Test history. Taking 5/59 in Pakistan's 2nd-innings chase of 176 — Pakistan beginning the day 0/0, needing to bat their way to a straightforward-seeming target — Patel's left-arm spin dismantled the lower order to leave Pakistan needing singles they couldn't get. They were dismissed for 171, falling 4 runs short. Patel became the ninth New Zealand bowler to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut; his 5/59 were the fifth-best debut bowling figures by any New Zealand bowler in Test history. Pakistan's collapse in the 2nd innings — having led NZ's 1st innings total of 153 by 74 runs with 10 wickets in hand — made the 4-run loss one of the most stunning individual-match reversals in UAE Test cricket. Player of the Match on debut, Patel set the series on a course that NZ would ultimately win.

Yasir Shah 14/184 at Dubai: Fastest to 200 Wickets and 10-in-a-Day Record

Yasir Shah's 14/184 match haul at Dubai — 8/41 in NZ's 1st innings of 90 and 6/143 in their 2nd innings of 312 — was the most dominant single-match bowling performance of the 2018 Test calendar. His 8/41 in NZ's first innings dismissed them for 90 in an innings that gave Pakistan an unassailable 328-run 1st-innings lead; his 6/143 in NZ's recovery innings of 312 clinched the win by innings and 16 runs. The 14-wicket match haul made him only the second Pakistan bowler in history to achieve 14 wickets in a Test, after Imran Khan's 14/116 (1982). During the match's third day, Yasir took 10 wickets in a single day's play — becoming the first bowler since Anil Kumble (1999) to achieve that feat. Earlier in the series, he had also broken Clarrie Grimmett's 82-year-old record by reaching 200 Test wickets in his 33rd Test — the fastest any bowler has ever reached that milestone in Test history.

Williamson 139 and the 3rd Test: NZ's Series-Winning Performance

The 3rd Test at Abu Dhabi — NZ needing a win with Pakistan needing a win — became a question of whether NZ's batting could build a total that their spinners (Patel, Sodhi) could defend. Kane Williamson's 89 in NZ's 1st innings of 274 gave them a base; his 139 in the 2nd innings of 353/7 declared allowed NZ to set Pakistan a target that was never going to be reachable when the pitch was turning. Pakistan, set 280 to win, were bowled out for 156 — NZ winning by 123 runs. Williamson's match figures of 89+139 — 228 runs across both innings — were the rock on which the series result was decided. His 386 series runs confirmed him as NZ's best-equipped batsman against Pakistan's spin attack in UAE conditions. The 2-1 series win was celebrated as one of New Zealand cricket's most significant Test results of the decade.