England’s mishaps all came on Tuesday but haunted them all the more by the time Pakistan asked them to start their reply after tea on day two – and in the circumstances, consigned to trying to eke out a stalemate with the bat, they did well to reach stumps with their embryonic rearguard intact on 56 for none.
Advertisement
In his first Test appearance for more than five years, Shoaib advanced confidently from being 124 overnight to post a record score at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and the third-highest total by a Pakistan batsman against England. Cook was the dominant partner with 39, alongside Moeen on 15 who was incredibly watchful.
Pakistan declared their first innings at 523-8 after Shoaib Malik was out for 245 on the second day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Malik hit 24 boundaries and four sixes during his 420-ball knock before he smashed a Ben Stokes delivery straight to Ian Bell, who took a well-judged catch at midwicket.
At the other end, Asad Shafiq was the aggressor for the most part, taking the game to England’s spin duo of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid en route to his 12th Test fifty.
Shafiq went soon after tea, when he was trapped leg before wicket off seamer Mark Wood while Sarfraz Ahmed (two) and Zulfiqar Babar (nought) also fell to Stokes.
England bowlers failed to provide a single breakthrough, with James Anderson the most successful with 2-42.
Now England must bat long and hard to match Pakistan’s effort and ensure the game is a draw.
The latter did manage to take two wickets, while Stokes and Broad grabbed one apiece, but it could have been so much better for the tourists had their catching been better.
Green Shirts declared the inning after scoring 523 runs with the lost of eight wickets.
Advertisement
Dubai will host the second Test (October 22-26) while the third will be played in Sharjah (November 1-5).
