New Zealand overcame the early wicket of opener Devon Conway in their second innings to take a 117-run lead into lunch on Thursday in the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi.
The visitors were 76-1 at the break on day four of the match -- building on their 41-run first innings lead -- with Tom Latham and Kane Williamson at the crease on 37 and 29 respectively.
Aiming for a big lead to force a win in the series, New Zealand were jolted in the second over when Mir Hamza bowled Conway with his first delivery.
It was the first time Conway fell without scoring in his 12-match Test career.
But Williamson and Latham saw through some probing spells from the Pakistan bowlers to give the Black Caps a slim edge.
Pakistan wasted two leg-before referrals on Williamson when the batter was on seven and nine, while Latham overturned a decision against him on 36 -- all off Ahmed, leaving them with one review left in what could be a match-deciding passage of play.
At the start of the day, Pakistan were dismissed for 408 after adding just one run to their overnight score, in response to New Zealand's 449 first-innings total.
Spinner Ish Sodhi had last man Abrar Ahmed trapped leg-before for nought, leaving centurion Saud Shakeel stranded on the other end.
Shakeel was unbeaten on 125 after a marathon resistance-packed 493 minutes at the crease, hitting 17 boundaries in his maiden hundred.
Spinner Ajaz Patel finished with 3-88 and Sodhi 3-95.
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The two-match series is tied after the first Test -- also in Karachi -- ended in a draw.