Ish Sodhi remained the most potent New Zealand bowler as his control improves. He deserved his two wickets for 65 runs from 30 overs. Finding the perfect line and length was difficult in what were still useful batting conditions. The Pakistani batsmen cut if he pitched a fraction short, drove if he pitched a fraction long and worked the ball off their pads if it was angled a fraction too far towards leg.
Sodhi faced a quandary. The footmarks, from which he could wreak havoc, were tantalisingly beyond a good length. He benefited from them when he bowled left-handed opener Shan Masood but they will not have as much impact for him from here; the remaining batsmen are right-handers.
Sodhi said: "They're a little bit full and wide but they should work for Mark Craig in the second dig and late in this one."
Trent Boult was impressed with the leg spinner: "That's the best I've seen it come out of his hand in a long time. The footmarks are starting to rough up and anything out of them is starting to hop. It going to be a challenge to score 200-plus with whatever time's left [for the second innings].
The final session brought three parts inspiration and one part desolation.
Boult led the way with the 10th delivery of the second new ball, causing Misbah-ul-Haq to hang his bat on 28 with a ball pitching on the line of off stump and holding its line.
Ross Taylor was reliable at first slip, considering he spent 84.3 overs waiting for his opportunity. The wicket ends Misbah's run of three consecutive centuries.
Sodhi backed up by cramping Azhar Ali on the back foot and forcing him into playing-on for 75, ending his 225-ball, five-hour 22-minute stay.
Boult bowled Asad Shafiq on 21, a move which would have left the Pakistan innings in the balance at 230 for six but an umpire no-ball hunch proved correct. Shafiq earned a reprieve until Tim Southee had him caught by slip Ross Taylor for 44.
"It was nice to get on the board [with a wicket in this series]," Boult said. "I tried to set him [Misbah] up with a couple to come back in and then I pushed one through. However, at the same time it was frustrating to overstride and miss out on another [Shafiq]. I haven't done that before so hopefully it's a quick learning curve."
Pakistan held the initial momentum with Azhar Ali and Younis building a third wicket partnership of 113 before Younis' concentration lapsed. There was relief and perhaps a touch of bemusement for the tourists that a flawless innings should finish so tamely.
Until that point Younis looked in such command it seemed the bowlers would have to land a good length ball on a piece of real estate the size of a coaster to invoke any sort of confusion.
A 29th test century appeared imminent, given he had made four hundreds in his last six innings. He stayed on 29 half-centuries instead.
Younis used his feet as if he was in a ballroom, stretched forward to sweep like a well-conditioned yogi and, until his demise, watched the ball as if it was going to pinch his lunch. He whipped balls off his hips, drove through the covers with impunity and was fearless leaving his crease.
Craig bore much of the brunt. Younis singled him out to be whacked down the ground for a couple of sixes. It seemed just that he should pouch the catch.
ANDREW ALDERSON TRAVELLED TO THE UAE COURTESY OF EMIRATES
