Misbah welcomed like Afridi

When you've recently equalled a world record held by Viv Richards there is a certain expectation the next time you walk in to bat.

Time for another quick-fire hundred by Misbah-ul-Haq? Not quite - after 56 balls today he had 34 - but there was time for another hundred. Yet another from a Pakistan batsman in what has become a prolific few weeks.

But it still took one senior player to remind another that he did not need to try and hit every ball into the stands, as much as the Pakistan fans wanted to see that.

"Sometimes it's very hard, the crowd shouting for you wanting boundaries and sixes so it was hard for him," Younis Khan said.

"We were saying it is like when Shahid Afridi plays everyone wants boundaries from him; the crowd were shouting that he had become a 'Boom Boom' now so it was hard for him and when he wanted to play some shots I just talked to him and told him to go for singles and wait for the bad balls."

Pakistan batted deep into the second day to allow both Misbah and Younis a chance to reach three figures, longer than they had perhaps planned, Younis admitted after making his fourth century in five innings but they have not made many wrong turns in the last 12 days of Test cricket. And what a difference a few weeks has made for Younis.

"Things were against me. Maybe I was thinking about retiring," he said. "In every single innings I just go and play for my friends, my family, my country - everything has changed."

Now it is over to their spinners. Ish Sodhi, the New Zealand legspinner, produced a few that ripped - including a wonderful delivery to extract Azhar Ali - and the visitors know what is around the corner for them against Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Hafeez.

"We were lucky to watch them against Australia and it looked like a similar tactic," Corey Anderson said. "Run Australia down into the dirt then let the spinners do the job on the batsmen. We know what challenges will face us.

"It was probably two of the tougher days of Test cricket I've played. It's the conditions we are faced with over here. Now it's our turn to turn it around and make sure we put on a good display with the bat. Hopefully we can get in on it and do as much damage as Pakistan did."