Azhar Ali remained unbeaten on 62 as Pakistan fought their way to 139-3 in reply to New Zealand’s first innings score of 274 on the second day of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi.
Azhar kept the Kiwis at bay in company of Asad Shafiq, who was on 26 when stumps were drawn with the hosts still trailing by 135 with seven wickets in hand. It was a tough day for Pakistan who were hit by the news of veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez retiring from Test cricket after the ongoing match.
Hafeez had earlier fallen for a four-ball duck, taking his run to just 66 runs from his last seven Test innings. That, along with the dismissal of fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq by Trent Boult saw Pakistan reduced to 17-2.
But Azhar teamed up with Haris Sohail to stitch together a 68-run stand and put some momentum back in the scoring.
Sohail fell to seamer Tim Southee for 34 to put the Kiwis back in the hunt but Azhar and Shafiq ensured there was no more damage.
The Kiwis must be feeling upbeat after a hard day at the office. Wicketkeeper BJ Watling scored an unbeaten 77 to take the Kiwis from the overnight score of 229-7 to 274, with 65 runs added by the last three.
During his five-and-a-half-hour knock Watling also crossed 3,000 runs in his 56th Test.
Watling was dropped on nine by Imam off Bilal Asif on Monday. He and debutant Will Somerville took the eighth wicket stand to 45 before off-spinner Bilal Asif took the last three wickets to finish with 5-65, his second five wicket haul in Tests.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah failed to add to his three wickets, leaving him two short of becoming the fastest man to 200 Test scalps.
