Centurion Shafiq was one of three Pakistan batsmen who were dropped before lunch on day two and England’s assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted that was a concern.
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England are under orders to cut out the lapses of concentration in the field which allowed Pakistan to nose in front in the fourth Investec Test at The Oval.
And their highest-ever run-getter in Test cricket – he’s scored more than 9,000 – gave poor Moeen Ali a awful pasting in the process, leaving England’s first-innings centurion with bowling figures of 2-128.
Steven Finn is backing England’s “backs-to-the-wall” mentality to rescue them in the final Test against Pakistan.
The morning therefore belonged to Pakistan, who had an opportunity on a very good surface under near cloudless skies to ensure a competitive first-innings position.
Although not at his most fluent on Friday, the 38-year-old drove well through the off side when England’s seamers over pitched, and combined power and deftness to score with freedom off Moeen and Root.
Moeen Ali’s economy in this innings – now the fifth worst for any England bowler to have bowled at least ten overs in a Test innings at home. On that occasion, too, the centuries had come from the same pair, Younis and Shafiq in the Cape Town Test in 2012-13.
Gary Ballance (4 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (14 not out) shall resume the innings on day four for England.
Earlier in the day, overnight batsmen Younis and Sarfraz Ahmed began in fine fashion for the visitors as the wicketkeeper-batsman took on the hosts with a few boundaries.
England appealed for LBW when Azhar was on 49 but hotspot showed the delivery had brushed his glove and with the ball in Bairstow’s gleeful hands the diminutive batsman had to go.
It was not until England happened upon Hotspot evidence demonstrating Azhar had gloved a sweep off Moeen, one short of his 50, that they broke the third-wicket stand on 75.
Cook chose to bring on Moeen Ali for one over before lunch and Younis pounced on the opportunity to hit a couple of boundaries and move on to 147.
Curiously, despite the overcast conditions after lunch, Cook brought on Root, the part-time offspinner, alongside Moeen Ali, the offspinning allrounder, for eight consecutive overs from the Pavilion End. But Younis immediately reviewed Bruce Oxenford’s decision and, with replays showing the ball going over the top of the stumps, the Australian umpire’s verdict was reversed.
But Ali has often proved expensive this series and he was costly again when conceding 36 runs in six overs on Saturday.
Younis completed his double hundred in style when he advanced down the pitch to drive Ali for six.
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When Pakistan’s last man, Sohail Khan, holed out to mid-on on the stroke of tea, Amir was the last man standing, unbeaten on a career-best 39 not out from 70 balls, his initial caution having given way to a florid range of strokes that ramped England’s frustrations up to boiling point. England looked likely to strike only when Shafiq reached 99 and went 17 balls without scoring.
