Pakistan’s team management have been criticised for putting youngsters Naseem Shah and Zafar Gohar up for media duty after a chastening third day of the Christchurch Test.

Resuming the day with the score on 286-3, Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls piled on the runs for the hosts in a free-scoring first session despite a calf injury constraining the latter. By the time Nicholls was dismissed in the afternoon session for 157, the pair had put on 369 for the fourth wicket, the third highest partnership any Blackcaps duo have ever made in Test cricket.

Williamson was finally dismissed for 238 – his second double-century in three Tests – before Daryl Mitchell brought up his maiden Test century later in the day. New Zealand, aided by a number of dropped catches, eventually declared on 659-6, leaving Pakistan’s openers with a tricky mini-session to negotiate in the evening session, in which Shan Masood fell to Kyle Jamieson for a 25-ball duck.

Naseem, 17, and Gohar, a 25-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder on debut, arguably endured the toughest days of all the Pakistani players. The pair went wicketless, ending the New Zealand innings with combined figures of 58-2-300-0.

The Pakistan team management came under fire for sending the pair out for media duties, with ESPNcricinfo senior editor Osman Samiuddin tweeting that while it might not be a sackable offence, it was “pretty pathetic to send these two out at the end of that kind of day.” In a later tweet, Samiuddin suggested it was likely to have been a decision made by team management rather than the Pakistan media team.

Should New Zealand avoid defeat they will reach the summit of the ICC Test team rankings for the first time in their history.