The pair Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to put up a defendable total in the first innings of the Test against New Zealand at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on Sunday. At the end of day’s play, the hosts were at 317/5 with the skipper at 161 and Salman Agha at 3.

New Zealand’s spinners made early inroads on the opening day of the first Test in Karachi on Monday. They had a chance to get rid of the Pakistani skipper when the fielder at the slip dropped Babar on 12. Later, Babar scored his career’s second-best 150, giving his side the momentum they needed to ward off the pressure of series clean sweep by England last week.

Sarfaraz and captain Babar Azam made a 196-run partnership. Agha Salman is the new batter.

The wicketkeeper-batter got out at the slip on the delivery of Ajaz Patel when three overs were left in the day’s play. Earlier, he survived a DRS, taken by New Zealand, after Tim Southee’s delivery hit his leg before the wicket.

Azam struck spinner Michael Bracewell for a six towards mid-wicket to complete his ninth Test century, reviving Pakistan after they were struggling on 115-4 at lunch.

Having won the toss and batted, Azam was unbeaten on 122, with the recalled Sarfaraz Ahmed alongside him on 54, as they added 129 for an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership.

Azam also hit 11 boundaries while Sarfaraz – playing his first Test since January 2019 – had seven hits to the rope.

New Zealand will be ruing letting Azam off the hook when he was on just 12, after Daryl Mitchell spilled a regulation catch at slip off Bracewell.

The tourists also failed to run out Azam on 54 when Devon Conway missed the stumps with the Pakistan skipper well short of his crease.

New Zealand’s spinners dominated the first session, with Bracewell dismissing Shan Masood for three and Imam-ul-Haq for 24, while Patel took the early wicket of Abdullah Shafique for seven.

In the penultimate over before lunch, fast bowler Tim Southee dismissed Saud Shakeel for 22 to complete a successful session for the tourists, playing their first Test series in Pakistan since 2002.

New Zealand’s decision to play with three spinners appeared justified, as the National Stadium pitch took turn right from the start. Patel came on to bowl in just the fourth over of the innings.

He turned his third ball across a forward-playing Shafique, and had him stumped by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.

Bracewell then had Masood stumped in his second over before Haq miscued a drive off him and was caught at mid-off.

This is the first time in Test cricket history that the first two dismissals in an innings were both stumped.

Pakistan, who suffered their first-ever 3-0 home whitewash to England last week, recalled Sarfaraz, Mir Hamza and Haq to the side.

Playing XIs:

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee (capt), Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel.

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (capt), Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Agha Salman, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Mir Hamza and Abrar Ahmed.