Hafeez puts Pakistan in strong position

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Opener Mohammad Hafeez struck a dominating century to lift Pakistan to 3-281 in the third and final Test against New Zealand in Sharjah.

The 34-year-old anchored Pakistan's innings with an unbeaten 178 - his seventh Test hundred and second in the series - as Pakistan dominated the day after winning a crucial toss on Wednesday and deciding to bat on a flat, grass-less Sharjah stadium pitch.

Hafeez added 121 for the fourth wicket with skipper Misbah-ul Haq, who was not out on a chancy 38, and 87 for the second wicket with Azhar Ali (39).

Misbah benefited from a dropped catch on 20 when wicketkeeper BJ Watling failed to hold an edge off legspinner Ish Sodhi.

New Zealand's three-spinner attack failed to get any spin with Mark Craig getting 2-67 and recalled Daniel Vettori 1-28.

New Zealand, seeking to level the three-match series after losing the first in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs and drawing the second in Dubai, hit back in the second session by dismissing Ali and in-form Younis Khan for five.

Pakistan were comfortably placed at 1-82 at lunch but Ali became offspinner Craig's second wicket, caught in the slip off a loose shot.

Ali said Hafeez was focused even before the Test.

"He came back from England a day before the Test," said Ali of Hafeez who had a bio-mechanical analysis of his bowling action reported during the first Test.

"That did not deter him and he played a brilliant knock.

"We won the toss but needed to score big and we are on course for that, a total of 500 or above would help us dictate terms."

Younis, who hit three hundreds in Pakistan's 2-0 rout of Australia last month and one more in the first Test of this series, was trapped leg-before by left-armer Vettori.

Vettori, playing his first Test for 28 months, becoming his country's most capped player beating Stephen Fleming who played 111.

Vettori also played one Test for an ICC World XI in 2005.

He was accorded a guard of honour by New Zealand players as he entered the field.

Hafeez reached his hundred with a couple of boundaries and a single, reaching the mark in 130 balls aided with 14 boundaries and two sixes.

In the first session, Pakistan had a confident start of 44 before Craig bowled Shan Masood for 12.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0, after winning the first Test in Abu Dhabi and drawing the second in Dubai.