Kane Williamson leads New Zealand recovery

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson led a fightback with a gritty half-century after Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah had demolished the top order on the first day of the third and final cricket Test.

Williamson's unbeaten 70 denied Pakistan success in the second session and carried New Zealand to 4-145-4 at tea in Abu Dhabi.

B.J. Watling survived a dropped catch on nine and has made a patient 15, with the duo adding 73 for the fifth wicket after New Zealand crumbled to 4-72 before lunch.

Williamson and Watling gamely defied Pakistan's attack on a tricky wicket which has already started giving ominous support to spinners.

Offspinner Bilal Asif could have dented New Zealand further but Watling was dropped by Imam-ul-Haq at forward short leg as Pakistan couldn't make further inroads.

Williamson completed his half century off 109 balls with three fours when he drove Asif to the covers for three runs and looked comfortable against seamers and spinners.

Earlier, Shah (3-26) had the wickets of Jeet Raval (45) and Ross Taylor (0) off successive deliveries before Henry Nicholls (1) played on to the leg-spinner after Williamson won the toss and elected to bat.

Shah - playing in his 33rd test match - needs two more wickets to become the quickest bowler in test history to reach 200 wickets.

Australia legspinner Clarrie Grimmett holds the record after taking his 200th wicket in his 36th test in 1925.

Pakistan struck early through debutant Shaheen Afridi (1-31) when the left-arm fast bowler had Tom Latham (4) leg before wicket in his third over.

Shah then had opener Raval lbw via a delivery which came back in to the left-hander, ending a 46-run second wicket stand.

Taylor was clean bowled off the next delivery, which didn't rise above shin height.

Nicholls denied Shah a hat trick but in the next over was clean bowled as he dragged the ball back onto the stumps while attempting a sweep shot, as New Zealand lost three wickets for two runs.