Peter Fulton was yesterday left ruing his indecision and New Zealand lamenting a botched second innings.
Bad light intervened just after 7pm but not before New Zealand had surrendered the initiative to Pakistan following a dismal batting effort in which it slumped to 147 for eight on day four at the University Oval.
Mohammad Aamer got the ball rolling with two wickets in his opening spell and Mohammad Asif twisted the knife with a stirring performance, taking four for 41 to help set up an intriguing last day.
The tourists resumed at 307 for eight and added a further 25 runs before Shane Bond wrapped up the innings when Aamer mistimed a pull shot.
With a useful buffer of 97 runs, New Zealand should have been pressing for quick runs and contemplating a declaration.
Instead it has been left staggering and desperate to eke out every last run possible.
Despite the batting collapse the test remains in the balance with the Black Caps leading by 244 runs with two wickets in hand.
On a day five pitch with variable bounce it might just be enough if Bond can replicate Thursday's extraordinary spell and Daniel Vettori can extract some turn.
Then again, if Umar Akmal plays like he did in the first innings and Mohammad Yousuf gets established at the crease, a target of 250-ish could prove easy pickings.
It should be almost as fascinating as watching Fulton dither when he was given out lbw by umpire Billy Doctrove without scoring.
He hit it, he looked like he knew he hit it, but he just could not seem to muster the confidence to ask for the decision to be referred to the third umpire.
Had he done so, Fulton could well still be batting with Grant Elliott now.
Replays clearly showed he hit the ball first before it struck his pad and as he hesitantly trudged off he kept glancing around desperately looking for some guidance.
The team let him cool down for 20 minutes before asking him why he had not asked for the decision to be referred.
"He wasn't certain whether he'd hit the ball," fast bowler Chris Martin said.
"It was a very fine edge and sometimes you think you've hit your pad or your boot or the ground."
Martin said it was team policy for batsmen to get some indication from their batting partner.
"It is such a new format and a new part of the game that, like most things, it's going to take a while to get used to it and to get better at it.
I think next time if you've got a hunch you should pretty much go with it."
While Martin said the day had not gone as the Black Caps had hoped, the side was far from beaten and victory was there for the taking.
"With the lead we have and the runs we've got now, the game is poised and it's definitely there for us to take," he said.
"Anything over 250 on a wearing wicket with variable bounce is going to be a big ask for them, especially if we do everything in a disciplined manner."
New Zealand started the day well enough.
Martin nicked out Asif and Shane Bond completed his comeback test with a five-wicket bag when Aamer mis-timed a pull shot.
But despite a handy first innings lead the home side quickly found itself under enormous pressure with Aamer once again wreaking havoc in the first over.
The 17-year-old dismissed Tim McIntosh with the first ball of the test but this time it was Martin Guptill who fronted up.
Guptill saw off the first three deliveries but not the fourth.
He got half a stride forward, was beaten by pace and a thick edge flattened his middle stump.
His replacement, Daniel Flynn, had a short stay, trapped in front for nought.
With the home side limping along, Ross Taylor released the shackles with a hoick over square leg for six.
It was a shot of frustration and not the first time he has tried to hit himself into form.
But it was also a fine example of what a splendid eye he has.
Unfortunately for a wee girl in the crowd, it left a golf ball-sized egg on the side of her head.
Thankfully some of the sting was taken out of the blow with the ice pack and miniature signed bat New Zealand Cricket was quick to rush over.
Taylor's innings ended when he rushed off for a quick single only to be sent back by McIntosh.
Khurram Manzoor hit the stumps from side on.
There was no repeat of the first inning heroics from Vettori or Brendon McCullum.
Vettori picked out Fawad Alam at mid on after being dropped in the slips, and McCullum edged Asif.
Elliott will resume today on 20 with Iain O'Brien at the wicket with him on four.
