New Zealand fought back on day one of the first Test against Pakistan in Hamilton to reach stumps in a respectable position having made a shaky start with the bat.
After losing the toss, the hosts found themselves on 177 for seven with 25 overs still to play before Kane Williamson (44 not out) and Tim Southee (56no) put together an unbroken 83-run stand.
The Black Caps therefore reached 260 for seven by the close, their first wicket having fallen in just the second over when Tim McIntosh (5) nicked Tanvir Ahmed to Younis Khan at slip.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill calmed things down with an important stand that saw them both play defensive strokes while hitting boundaries whenever Pakistan's seamers strayed.
Having reached 34, McCullum could have departed when Wahab Riaz's delivery appeared to brush his glove on the way through to wicketkeeper only for the appeals to be rejected.
UDRS would surely have overturned the decision but is not being used in this series.
Fortune
McCullum had another moment of fortune against Riaz on 40, edging one just short off Adnan Akmal behind the stumps.
The pair took New Zealand to 77 for one by lunch and in the second over of the afternoon session, McCullum smashed Gul for the first six of the match over long-off.
He brought up his half-century moments later before collecting a second six off Gul over mid-wicket.
But Gul had the last laugh because with the very next ball he tempted McCullum (56) into a slice that fell into the hands of Azhar Ali at backward point.
Ross Taylor came to the crease but made just six runs before edging to Akmal off the bowling of Abdur Rehman.
Jesse Ryder was the next batsman to fall and can count himself unlucky, being run out while backing up as Riaz got a finger to Guptill's forward press.
Guptill reached his half-century but departed without adding to it when he mis-hit a Rehman full toss down the throat of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
New Zealand had reached 176 for six when debutant Reece Young was pinned lbw to give Rehman his third success and just one more run was added before Daniel Vettori followed for a duck, lbw to Tanvir.
Frustrated
Southee was next man in and came together with Williamson as the pair frustrated Pakistan's attempts to bring an end to the innings.
Southee was the more aggressive, hitting eight of his 81 balls to the boundary, with Williamson's innings more circumspect but equally vital.
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