At stumps, England was 46 for 2 with Alastair Cook (17) and Joe Root (6) battling hard against Pakistan’s spin attack on a pitch increasingly assisting turn.
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Root, who survived a controversial leg-before decision as Pakistan used up their final DRS review, stayed in until the close along with Cook, and at least one of them must make a big total if England are to score the 238 runs still needed.
England’s highest successful chase in Asia is 209 against Bangladesh in Dhaka five years ago.
England were once again bamboozled by spin to fall to a humbling 127-run defeat to Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah.
In the same over, Rashid turned his googly square – too much for Hafeez advancing well out of his ground, still on his overnight 97, as well as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow as the ball ran away for four byes.
England had to wait until the fifth over with the second new ball after lunch to dislodge Misbah when Broad had the Pakistan captain trapped lbw.
Sarfraz Ahmed (36) also added valuable runs before England lost two early wickets on a day which Pakistan dominated to take firm control of the match.
England could have dismissed Pakistan for less than 355 in their second innings and left an easier target had they not dropped two crucial catches, of Mohammad Hafeez on 113 and Asad Shafiq on 29.
Hafeez had hit 15 boundaries and three sixes. It was Bell’s 100th catch in Tests.
31 Wickets taken by England’s fast bowlers in the series, at an average of 24.58 and economy rate of 2.29 runs per over.
“Moeen is quickest with 50 wickets, he has really done a good job as a backup spinner”.
Ian Bell, who had struck a slow by useful 40 in the first innings, was foxed by a Malik delivery that was pitched on the middle-stump from around-the-wicket, and continued along it’s trajectory to crash into the off-stump as England lost their second wicket.
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Hafeez completed his century off 169 balls with a sweep off Rashid in the next over as Misbah took his usual time to settle in. Malik announced his retirement from Test cricket on Tuesday to focus on the 2019 World Cup after claiming his career-best 4 for 33 in England’s first innings score of 306.
