Pace spearhead Rahat Ali took four wickets against New Zealand to restrict the tourists to 262, which helped Pakistan to secure a 304-run lead on the third day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi.
The Kiwis fell 105 runs short of avoiding the follow-on but Pakistan did not enforce it.
Pakistan closed the third day on 15-0 with openers Mohammad Hafeez (five) and Azhar Ali (nine) were at the crease as Pakistan led by 319 runs with all ten wickets intact and two days to push for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Tom Latham of New Zealand played a brilliant knock of 103 to provide impetus to an unsteady Kiwi batting lineup before being dismissed by Rahat Ali. Corey Anderson made 48 and BJ Watling 42 as New Zealand were dismissed for 262 in their first innings.
Earlier, Latham was given two lives by Pakistan; Azhar Ali dropped a reflex catch at forward short-leg before he had added a run to his overnight 5. Then when Latham was on 32, Sarfraz Ahmed missed a thick edge off Mohammad Hafeez’s offspin.
Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar (3/79) and Rahat Ali (4/22) rattled the New Zealand side which was up against a mammoth 566.
Babar, who took 14 wickets in Pakistan’s 2-0 test-series victory against Australia, had captain Brendon McCullum (18) and Ross Taylor (0) caught close to the wicket after New Zealand resumed on the overnight score of 15-0.
Pakistan amassed 566-3 before declaring its first innings late on the second day.
New Zealand, playing a test match for the first time on the slow United Arab Emirates wickets, struggled equally against spin and fast bowling.
McCullum had survived two strong lbw appeals against fast bowler Imran Khan before Younis Khan took a fine, low catch when the New Zealand skipper pushed hard at Babar’s sharp turning delivery.
In the next over, Williamson managed to dig out Ali’s delivery only to see the ball hitting the back of the bat and rolling back onto the stumps.
New Zealand’s most experienced batsman, Ross Taylor, recovering from a right calf injury, never looked at ease against Babar before offering a tame catch to Asad Shafiq at close-in gully as New Zealand slipped to 47-3.
Pakistan missed two tough chances in an otherwise dominating first session.
Pakistan declared their first innings at 566-3 on Monday and look like continuing their momentum in the three-match series against New Zealand, having secured a 2-0 series win against Australia at the same venue earlier this month
