Unbeaten half-centuries from captain Misbah-ul-Haq and rookie Asad Shafiq helped Pakistan reach a commanding 235 for four on day two of their first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton today.
Middle-order batsman Shafiq (74no), playing just his second match, added 128 for the unbroken fifth-wicket stand with Misbah (50no) after Taufeeq Umar's 54 at the top of the order.
The tourists now are just 40 runs behind New Zealand's first innings total of 275 with six wickets remaining.
Good knock: Pakistan's Misbah ul-Haq hit a half-century
Seamers Chris Martin and Brent Arnel picked up two wickets each, but the rest of the bowlers struggled even though runs mostly came in a trickle throughout the day.
Earlier, New Zealand were bowled out having added just 15 runs to their overnight score of 260 for seven.
Tanvir Ahmed (four for 63) wrapped up the innings picking up Kane Williamson (50) and Arnel (eight) after Tim Southee fell to Umar Gul in the first over of the day having yet to add to his 56.
However, the 84-run stand between Southee and Williamson took the hosts to a competitive score after they were reduced to 177 for seven in the final session yesterday.
Pakistan's reply got off to a poor start as Martin saw off opener Mohammad Hafeez for a duck in the first over, Tim McIntosh taking a fine catch in the slips.
Rookie: But Asad Shafiq hit 70 to put Pakistan in control
But Taufeeq and Azhar Ali steadied the ship and took the fight to the hosts by launching a counter-attack.
There were five boundaries off Martin second and third overs as the tourists reached 67 for one at lunch.
But New Zealand came strongly after lunch, picking up three vital wickets which also slowed down the run-rate considerably as just 69 were added in 38 overs before tea.
Martin broke the 71-run second wicket stand immediately after lunch by forcing Azhar
(24 off 55 balls) to edge one to the wicketkeeper.
Former captain Younis Khan, who joined Taufeeq in the middle, found his rhythm quickly and took the tourists past 100 with back-to-back boundaries off Martin.
But a double-strike from Arnel put the brakes on Pakistan with Taufeeq, who hit 11 boundaries in his innings, becoming the right-hand paceman's first victim after hitting his first half-century since 2003.
The left-hander was joined in the hut by Younis for 23 when he offered a return catch to Arnel leaving two new batsman - Misbah and Shafiq - to face the hostile New Zealand attack.
The pair, however, denied further success to the Kiwi bowlers and took Pakistan to tea at 135 for four.
Rookie Shafiq continued his mature innings into the final session to bring up his second Test fifty. The 24-year-old negotiated the threat of Daniel Vettori, who was in the middle of a miserly spell of 16-9-17-0.
Misbah adopted a more cautious approach than his junior partner but the captain frustrated the bowlers with his solid defence as Pakistan moved past 200 after 67 overs.
The skipper's innings featured just three boundaries for a long part of his 129-ball vigil, before he cut loose in the final few overs.
He played both lofted drives and reverse sweeps after picking up his first six off part-time spinner Williamson and passed his fifty soon after.
Shafiq slowed down a little towards the end of play but will still be eyeing three figures in the morning.
