JOIN USOnly a fielding lapse denied him a fourth wicket as New Zealand struggled through the first day after being sent into bat in reasonable conditions.
Daniel Vettori escaped a golden duck in one of three dropped catches that proved costly for Pakistan and allowed New Zealand to build two solid partnerships and recover from a first-ball dismissal.
Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill staged a 117-run rescue stand for the third wicket, while Vettori and Brendon McCullum had put on an unbroken 65 for the seventh wicket.
At stumps Vettori was on 40 and McCullum on 25 after successfully appealing against an lbw dismissal on the penultimate ball of the day.
But around them the New Zealand batting had a familiar air of frailty as Asif posted three for 76 off 24 overs.