Dubai: Grant Flower, the Pakistan team batting coach revealed that it is going to be tough cricket for both the teams in the remaining two days.

“It is going to be tough cricket for both the sides. They [New Zealand] having won the toss are in the driving seat. It is a different pressure for our guys but we have been in such situations before and we definitely have got the skills. It is going to be a huge challenge but hopefully we have got the character and the skills to get us through.”

Flower then went on to explain why it was tough for the Pakistan batsmen to score freely. “It was very hard work as it was a slow wicket and turning. The Kiwis were very disciplined and bowled really well and were backed up by some great fielding. Which is what we expected but we are still in the game.”

Flower, who has earned a reputation as a good coach since his playing days in which he scored six centuries and 15 half centuries from 67 Test matches for Zimbabwe, also revealed how it is to play on such wickets. “You have to be patient and disciplined, just like the bowlers. It is tough cricket but the wicket is not unplayable by any means. Our batsmen had gone on to get big scores; but today I think the guys played some very good cricket, though at the end of the day some big hundreds would have been good.”

Flower is still hopeful of gaining the lead. “We still have got some good batters at the crease and our tail can also bat and so I think we have a chance to get somewhere close to their total. The batsmen will have to take each ball as it comes. The guys who are to come at the crease are shot players and so hopefully if we can score naturally we can try and get as close to their total as possible.”

Flower candidly admitted that it was not his team’s plan to bat slowly. “It wasn’t our game plan. It worked for us against Australia and against the Kiwis in the first Test. The wickets here are not made for flamboyant cricket so you do have to be patient and get through the new ball and then work your way through the spinners and get used to the conditions.”

New Zealand pacer Trent Boult feels that his team has finished on top. “From our point of view it is a very successful day. The last two wickets and other wickets we grabbed today are really important for us. Them being six down have put us in a good position for a big day tomorrow.”.

Boult’s aim right now is to quickly get the remaining four Pakistan wickets. “I am not sure how much time will be left in the game and then take the four wickets and think of the rest. The more the wicket deteriorates and breaks up the lead becomes more important,” he said.