Rahat Ali ensured Pakistan remained in total control of the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.
The left-armer claimed 4-22 as New Zealand were bowled out for 262 on the third day, the tourists’ only bright spot a maiden Test century from Tom Latham.
The opener supplied the required patience to keep the probing Pakistan attack at bay, but with little support from his team-mates a 304-run first-innings lead was conceded.
Pakistan opted against enforcing the follow-on and were 15 without loss at the close.
First-innings centurion Ahmed Shehzad was unable to take his place at the top of the order, though, after he was hit in the face by a Corey Anderson bouncer yesterday.
The 22-year-old was due to fly home tonight after the Pakistan Cricket Board revealed he had “been advised not to participate in sporting activity for a minimum of three weeks”.
Shehzad’s injury has been a rare low point for Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates – following their emphatic 2-0 series sweep of Australia– and after piling up 566 for three declared to start this series their bowlers quickly got to work today.
Rahat was chief amongst those as returned miserly figures of 8-7-1-1 in the morning session – the only run he conceded was a no-ball.
Kane Williamson was his morning wicket, the ball trickling back on to the stumps, after Zulfiqar Babar made the initial breakthrough to dismiss Brendon McCullum at slip.
Babar then also removed Ross Taylor before lunch for a duck.
Latham survived a couple of dropped chances before the break but settled in during the afternoon session to reach a well-deserved century.
Anderson and BJ Watling provided the only other notable scores, both falling just short of half-centuries, but New Zealand needed much more with a mountain now left to climb to avoid slipping behind in the three-Test series.