Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: New Zealand is on the verge of a series leveling victory as Pakistan collapsed to 147-7 at tea on the fourth day of the third test after the Black Caps set a new national record score Sunday.
Fast bowler Trent Boult dented the top order with three quick wickets in the morning and later spinners Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi shared four more wickets to leave Pakistan behind by 192 runs.
Asad Shafiq was fighting a lone battle, unbeaten on 51 as Pakistan's top order batsmen, who have scored 15 centuries in the last five test matches, couldn't cope with the pressure of a heavy first-innings deficit of 339 runs.
Resuming on 637-8, the tourists added 53 runs inside the first hour before being bowled out for 690 — bettering New Zealand's previous highest score of 680.
Rahat Ali was the pick of the bowlers with 4-99 and Yasir Shah conceded 193 runs for his four wickets as New Zealand smashed a world-record 22 sixes.
Boult started the Pakistan slide when in his second over he found Shan Masood's thick outside edge that was brilliantly snapped up by Tim Southee at third slip.
Azhar Ali misread Boult's good length delivery, didn't offer a shot as the ball slanted in and knocked back his off stump.
Boult then dealt Pakistan a severe blow just before lunch when Khan was out lbw for a golden duck for the first time in eight years.
Pakistan couldn't recover from Boult's early damage after lunch.
Mohammad Hafeez (24) offered a tame return catch to Craig and Misbah-ul-Haq (12) was superbly caught by diving wicketkeeper BJ Watling to his right after the ball brushed the Pakistan captain's gloves and lobbed in the air.
Sodhi struck twice in the last over before tea after Ross Taylor had Sarfraz Ahmed (37) caught in the slips and Yasir Shah struck a four and a six off the next two deliveries before getting trapped lbw.
Earlier, New Zealand frustrated Pakistan further with No. 8 batsman Craig scoring 65 off 85 balls before he was caught and bowled by Hafeez.
Sodhi (22) also hit a six and a four before he looped a catch to Khan in the slips off a mistimed sweep to give legspinner Shah his fourth wicket of the innings.
Fast bowler Mohammad Talha and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar had forgetful test matches with the pair conceding 271 runs between them without taking a wicket as New Zealand scored at a healthy run-rate of 4.81 runs.
