Pakistan, who won the toss and batted, were 207-4 on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand in Dubai on Saturday.
Azhar Ali scored 81 while Haris Sohail was unbeaten on 81 as they added 126 for the third wicket to lift Pakistan from 25-2 at Dubai stadium.
At close Babar Azam was the other unbeaten batsman on 14. Medium pacer Colin de Grandhomme was the pick of New Zealand bowlers with 2-31.
New Zealand lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test by four runs in Abu Dhabi.
Azhar, who made a valiant 65 in Pakistan’s narrow four-run defeat in the first Test, was shaky at the start as he edged the second ball he faced off Grandhomme through the slips.
He then settled to play some exciting strokes, hitting seven boundaries and a six as he made his 31st fifty. Grandhomme, preferred over the more experienced Tim Southee for the second match running, gave New Zealand an ideal start.
He had Hafeez caught in the slip by Tom Latham in the eighth over.
Hafeez has managed just 66 runs in six innings since scoring a comeback hundred against Australia at the same venue last month.
Imam, dropped on nine by Latham, fell in Grandhomme’s next over.
Both teams fielded unchanged lineups, with Pakistan resisting the temptation of playing teenage quick Shaheen Shah Afridi.
