Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has taken 5/69, as New Zealand overcame stiff resistance to dismiss Pakistan for 297 on the opening day of the second and final test at Christchurch.
Already 1-0 up in the series and needing only a draw to rise to the top of the world rankings for the first time, the Blackcaps won the toss and elected to field on a Hagley Oval track seemingly tailor-made for their attack.
But Pakistan had shown great fight at the end of their 101-run defeat in the first test and started out as they had finished at Mount Maunganui, with batting of real intent on a day largely uninterrupted by Christchurch rain.
Azhar Ali led the way with a superb innings of 93, with cameos from Mohammad Rizwan (61), who was again forced to stand-in as captain for the injured Babar Azam, and Faheem Ashraf (48).
Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar extended the tail with a 62-ball 34 in his first test innings, until he top-edged a short delivery from Tim Southee just after New Zealand took the second new ball.
The hosts rattled off the last two wickets in short order to bring up stumps, giving New Zealand's openers the night to rest up, before going out to bat.
Given the swing and seam in the pitch, New Zealand's attack would have hoped to complete the job more quickly and that looked likely, when Jamieson ripped through the Pakistan top order to reduce the tourists to 88/4 at lunch.
Bowling with real venom and bounce, the 26-year-old sent back opener Abid Ali, Haris Sohail and Fawad Alam in three overs, the latter with an unplayable delivery that the batsman could only fend away from his helmet with his glove.
Azhar Ali and Rizwan stalled the New Zealand attack with a partnership of 88 for the fifth wicket, as the stand-in skipper secured his fifth consecutive half century, before edging a Jamieson delivery behind.
Brought in to replace the injured Neil Wagner, seamer Matt Henry finally winkled out Azhar Ali in the final session, before Faheem Ashraf departed to give Jamieson his third five-wicket haul in six tests.
Reuters
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