PAKISTAN couldn’t have wished better in the decisive third Test than to win the toss, bat and make the best use of it to assure themselves of the series in which they are already ahead.

On a feather-bed of a pitch, Pakistan after having scored 281 and losing only three wickets during the day’s play on Wednesday, know that if they continue to occupy the crease with as much ease today as on the first day the job for them would be more than half done.

As Azhar Ali said: “We are aiming for at least 500 runs and then take on from there.”

This I would say is attainable unless the game suddenly takes a somersault today in favour of the Kiwis and Pakistan collapse. Not likely from where they stand now.

All through the day there was neither movement off the pitch nor any sign of spin, not even from Daniel Vettori except the bounce which was ominously visible whenever an attempted bouncer sailed harmlessly past the batsman from Tim Southee or Trent Boult.

The nature of the wicket may change, though, but not before another day’s play.

Shan Masood’s technique when defending out side the off stump once again failed him and same was true when Azhar Ali was dismissed while attempting an extravagant shot to a ball off Mark Craig which he could have easily left. But more than those two wickets, the Kiwis must have thanked their stars to see the back of Younis Khan.

Unarguably, however, the day belonged to Mohammad Hafeez who for the second time in this series dictated the proceedings against the Black Caps by picking up yet another century, his seventh in Tests, which he would undoubtedly rank amongst his best.

Understandably, the flat and docile nature of the wicket did help but one can not take away the credit from the man who not only kept his cool and his concentration intact all day while carrying his bat for 178 but also in the process kept the scoreboard going with some brilliant strokes all round the wicket.

Back only couple of days ago from UK after being checked for his bowling, his would have been a tough job under the circumstances but he showed little, if any, concern what fate holds for him as a bowler. Acceptably, Hafeez is a successful limited over batsman but the way he has improved recently in the longer version of the game needs to be admired and encouraged.

His ravenous appetite for runs like that of injured Ahmed Shehzad bodes well when you think of the way Younis, Azhar, Sarfraz Ahmed, Asad Shafiq and their captain Misbah-ul-Haq have performed in this last couple of months.

Pakistan have had this problem now for some time to see a pair of openers establish themselves. If only Shehzad and Hafeez put their mind more to it as they have shown now, the problem could well be more than over.

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014