CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, March 17 (AFP) - Pakistan were sitting on 131 for two wickets at lunch on the third day Saturday of the second cricket Test, chasing New Zealand's first innings total of 476.

Faisal Iqbal, 41, and Inzaman-ul-Haq, 73, put on 66 runs in the morning session and were looking more secure on an increasingly benign pitch.

New Zealand, who took no wickets in the morning, looked to be in a rut with no obvious way out. Their three pace bowlers were offering no variation and the field had a static, non-attacking look to it.

Inzaman-ul-Haq was playing with authority and made New Zealand pay for a dropped slips catch by Nathan Astle when he had scored just 10.

With the weather calm, the game looked likely to go the full five days.