Blackcaps openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway have resumed their domination of the Pakistan attack with another century stand on the opening day of the second test at Karachi.
The pair frustrated the home bowlers in the first innings of the series opener last week, compiling a 183-run stand and threatening to snatch an unlikely victory on the final day, before bad light intervened.
After captain Tim Southee won the toss and chose to bat in the series-decider at the same venue, New Zealand reached 119 without loss at lunch, with both openers bringing up half centuries.
Latham needed only 70 balls to reach his 24th test fifty, while Conway's came up in 78 balls, his sixth in 12 tests.
The only real threat to the paid came in the 20th over, when Mir Hamza hit Latham on the back pad and the umpire's finger was raised, but the decision was overturned, when replay showed an inside edge from the bat.
After the resumption, Lathan finally fell for 71, trapped leg before wicket by Naseem Shah, but Conway continued on to his fourth test ton, reaching tea unbeaten on 120.
Kane Williams replaced Latham at the crease and the pair built another century partnership, as the Blackcaps dined at 226/1.
New Zealand chose to retain their three-prong spin attack of Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell on the flat wicket, with their only change seeing Matt Henry replacing Neil Wagner as the second seam option.
By contrast, the home side have taken just one specialist spinner into the encounter, after suggestions this pitch may be greener than the first test, where Sodhi compiled career-best figures of 6/86 in the second innings.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee (capt), Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (capt), Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza, Abrar Ahmed
