DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AFP) – Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif celebrated his international cricket recall with three vital wickets to have New Zealand at 276-6 at stumps on the first day of the first Test here yesterday.

Only a fielding lapse denied him a fourth wicket as New Zealand struggled through the first day after being sent into bat in reasonable conditions.

Daniel Vettori escaped a golden duck in one of three dropped catches that proved costly for Pakistan and allowed New Zealand to build two solid partnerships and recover from a first-ball dismissal.

Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill staged a 117-run rescue stand for the third wicket, while Vettori and Brendon McCullum had put on an unbroken 65 for the seventh wicket.

At stumps Vettori was on 40 and McCullum on 25 after successfully appealing against an lbw dismissal on the penultimate ball of the day.

But around them the New Zealand batting had a familiar air of frailty as Asif posted three for 76 off 24 overs. Mohammad Aamir had two for 62 and Umar Gul, although wicketless, bowled seven maidens in his first nine overs.

Asif, who arrived in New Zealand vowing to repair a promising career that had been stalled by injury and drug scandals, took wickets in the first and last sessions of the day.

But it was the 17-year-old Mohammad Aamir who took the early plaudits after Mohammad Yousuf won the toss and put New Zealand into bat.

Aamir justified the decision with the opening delivery when he yorked Tim McIntosh with a ball that ricocheted from the toe of the bat to the leg stump.

Asif followed in the sixth over with the wicket of Daniel Flynn who, on eight from two boundaries, played down the wrong line and sent an inside edge to wicketkeeper Kamram Akmal to leave New Zealand on two for 27.

Scoreboard

New Zealand first innings

T McIntosh b Aamir 0

M Guptill c Alam b Aamir 60

D Flynn c Kamran b Asif 8

R Taylor c Farhat b Ajmal 94

P Fulton b Asif 29

G Elliott c Kamran b Asif 8

B McCullum not out 25

D Vettori not out 40

Extras (lb 11, nb 1) 12

Total (6 wickets; 90 overs) 276

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (McIntosh), 2-27 (Flynn), 3-144 (Guptill), 4-192 (Taylor), 5-210 (Fulton), 6-211 (Elliott)

Bowling: Mohammad Aamir 19-3-62-2, Mohammad Asif 24-4-76-3, Umar Gul 21-7-78-0 (1nb), Saeed Ajmal 26-9-49-1

Toss: Pakistan

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS), Billy Doctrove (WIS)

Television umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA)

Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)