The hosts were nine without loss at the close of the
third day's play on Monday after the visitors had been bowled out for 376, a
lead of 20, shortly before stumps at the Basin Reserve.
Brendon McCullum (six) and Martin Guptill (one) safely
negotiated the five overs they needed to face to ensure New Zealand would begin
the fourth day with an 11-run deficit and looking to force the pace of the
game.
"I suppose we turn up and all the clichés will ring
true in the morning, about batting that session and seeing where were at,"
Martin told reporters. "It depends how much time we have in the game and
how far we get with the run rate.
"I know there will be an opportunity for Dan to come
into the game quite strongly on that last afternoon."
Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0 after a 10-wicket
victory in Hamilton. They have not won a Test series since they beat West
Indies 2-0 at home in Nov. 2006.
Captain Misbah-ul-haq had led from the front for
Pakistan, falling one run short of his third Test century and having shared in
a 142-run partnership with Younus Khan (73).
The 36-year-old skipper had been incredibly patient as he
clawed his way to 99 off 206 balls, but shuffled across his stumps to try to
force a Martin delivery to the leg-side only to be hit in front and given out
lbw.
Martin, who had bowled an impressive spell between lunch
and tea without reward, captured four for 91 while New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori
finished with 4-100.
Vettori and Martin captured three quick wickets after tea
with Asad Shafiq caught at first slip off Vettori for a duck, Adnan Akmal
caught by Martin off Vettori following a dreadful attempted sweep for 22,
before Abdul Rehman (five) looped a catch to McCullum off Martin.
"We were trying pretty hard there for a while and
things weren't really happening (and)... the way we felt we had bowled maybe
(we) deserved a session like that," Martin said of the six Pakistani
wickets that fell in the final session.
"We kept our focus, kept our lines and kept our
disciplines and I think sometimes you feel like it's going to come and it's
going to come quickly and it definitely did in that last session."
The day was marred by a hint of controversy with Younus
given out caught in close by Jesse Ryder for 73 off Vettori on the final ball
before the tea break.
Television replays showed the ball had ballooned off
Younus's pad, without touching his bat, to Ryder at forward short leg.
It was the seventh decision in the match that could have
potentially been overturned by the umpire review system, which is not in use in
the series, though Younus was philosophical.
"It was a good partnership with the captain, we were
a little bit unlucky because it was 150 runs partnership and we could have gone
on," Younus said.
"It's the nature of the game, the umpires are human.
You can't blame anyone for the decision.
"In future we need it regularly in the Test game and
one-dayers, and also Twenty20 as well."
