(MENAFN- The Peninsula) New Zealand bowled with discipline and, despite Azhar Ali and Younis Khan's half-centuries, looked set for a lead in the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai yesterday.
Pakistan lost Asad Shafiq in seamer Tim Southee's penultimate over for 44 to close the third day on 281-6, still trailing by 122 runs on New Zealand's first innings total of 403.
Sarfraz Ahmed was unbeaten on 28 and Yasir Shah on one in a day when the Pakistani batsmen failed to score big.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi led the New Zealand bowling with 2-65.
Pakistan, resuming at 34-2 saw off the first session without losing any wicket as Younis Khan (72) and Azhar Ali (75) shared a 113-run stand for the third wicket.
But New Zealand got four wickets in the next two sessions to press home their claims for a useful lead and in turn improve their chances for a series-levelling win. Azhar added another 50 runs with skipper Misbah-ul Haq, but New Zealand hit back with the second new ball taken after 83 overs with the score at 194-3.
Trent Boult claimed his first wicket in the series when he produced a beautiful delivery which got the edge of Misbah's bat and landed in the safe hands of Ross Taylor at first slip. Misbah's 28 had two boundaries and a six.
Ali drove spinner Mark Craig through point for three to complete his 18th half-century.
But he too fell soon, trying to cut Sodhi and was bowled.
Shafiq was lucky to survive at 26 when Boult bowled him with a sharp incoming delivery but much to New Zealand's dismay it turned out to be a no-ball.
He too failed to bat for long and was caught off a loose shot in the end, adding 59 for the sixth wicket with Sarfraz.
In the morning Pakistan's in-form batsmen were under pressure after a big New Zealand total and, more so, after losing both the openers cheaply on Tuesday. But Younis and Ali showed no sign of pressure as they started the day solidly. Younis reached half-century with a boundary off Craig.
Younis hit seven fours and two sixes € both off Craig € during his 160-ball knock but fell to a casual shot, spoiling a good chance of scoring another hundred.
He also amassed 468 runs with three hundreds in the 2-0 white-wash of Australia in the preceding series, also played in United Arab Emirates.
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