An unbeaten 94 by a gritty Kane Williamson had New Zealand at 222/3 in the face of a concerted Pakistan attack at stumps on day one of the first Test in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.
Henry Nicholls was the other not out batsman on 42 as New Zealand recovered from being 13/2 after Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi removed openers Tom Latham and Tom Blundell cheaply on a green, seaming wicket.
In a 120-run stand, filled with determination and concentration in difficult conditions, Williamson and Ross Taylor pulled New Zealand back into the game.
Taylor hit 10 fours and a six as he attacked the bowling while Williamson took a more conservative approach.
After Afridi split the pair with a masterful piece of bowling to remove Taylor for 70, Williamson and Henry Nicholls added a further 89.
Taylor was set up to fall by Afridi who bowled full, short then a bouncer in successive deliveries and followed with a good-length, rising ball that Taylor could not resist slashing at. But he succeeded only in feathering the ball to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps.
The 20-year-old Afridi, standing 1.99 metres tall, also removed Latham for four and Blundell for five to end the day with three for 55.
Mohammad Abbas, while not taking a wicket, kept the batsmen pinned down and conceded only 25 runs off his 21 overs.
Taylor, in his 104th Test, could not help but be impressed with Afridi playing his 12th.
“When the ball was 50 overs old it was still swinging and he could pick and choose when he used it and he’s got a slippery bumper. He’s only going to get better and Pakistan are going to see a very good bowler in years to come,” Taylor said.
Afridi’s opening onslaught had Kiwis at two for 13 before Kane and Taylor combined in a century partnership, their 10th together.
By stumps, Williamson had faced 243 deliveries after being in the middle for all but the first three balls before Latham was dismissed.
The closest Pakistan came to dismissing the New Zealand captain came before lunch with Williamson on 18 when Shan Masood spilled a difficult one-handed chance low to his left.