ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam led Pakistan's recovery and the home team progressed to 144-4 on day two of the first test against New Zealand on Saturday.
Pakistan trailed by just nine runs at lunch after New Zealand was bowled out for 153 in its first innings, losing its last seven wickets for just 42 runs on the first day.
Shafiq was unbeaten on 25 and Azam was not out on 24 as both batsmen batted confidently to raise half-century stand.
Pakistan lost both its overnight batsmen, Haris Sohail (38) and Azhar Ali (22), on 91 inside the first hour after it resumed on 59-2.
Both batsmen stretched their third-wicket stand to 64 runs until New Zealand struck in successive overs through leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (1-25) and Trent Boult (2-29).
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson surprisingly held back Boult for half an hour and went with the gentle medium pace of Colin de Grandhomme (1-29) before the left-armer Boult created an opportunity in his first over.
Azhar should have been out on 19 but Jeet Paval dropped an easy overhead catch at short mid-wicket. In Boult's next over New Zealand wasted one of its two reviews by going for an unsuccessful television referral against Azhar, who struggled to get going in his 95-ball knock.
Sodhi finally got the breakthrough when Sohail hit a low full toss straight to Tom Latham and B.J. Watling took a stunning low one-handed diving catch to his right to dismiss Azhar that gave Boult a deserving wicket.
But Shafiq and Azam then denied New Zealand any more success in the last hour, hitting five boundaries in between them.
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