Stumps - England 182 for three
DUBAI // Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow weathered the threat of Yasir Shah and Pakistan’s spin battery, to guide England through to the close on 182 for three.
The Yorkshiremen put on a stand of 55 to steady the tourists, after the loss of captain Alastair Cook to Yasir’s leg-spin.
Root continued his rich vein of form as he reached 76, while Bairstow will start Day 3 on 27.
After a compelling day of Test cricket, England trail by196 with seven first innings wickets remaining.
Tea – England 105 for two
Alastair Cook and Joe Root followed the example set by Pakistan’s batsmen a day earlier and imposed themselves on the vaunted opposition spin bowlers.
Thanks to their alliance, worth an unbroken 91, England reached the tea break 273 runs in arrears of Pakistan’s first innings total.
Cook carried on seamlessly from his double-century in Abu Dhabi as he reached 46 not out, while Root set an upbeat tempo in making 45 from 63 balls.
It was not without its scares, though. Cook was on 27 when a ball from Zulfiqar Babar rolled back onto his stumps with some force, but did not dislodge the bails.
At the start of England’s reply, Moeen Ali (1) and Ian Bell (4) were undone by a fine new-ball assault from Imran Khan and Wahab Riaz, which had left the tourists on 14 for two.
Lunch – Pakistan 378 all out
England's overnight optimism proved well founded after they took the final six Pakistan wickets for the addition of just 96 runs at the Dubai International Stadium.
Stuart Broad, buoyed by a rousing rendition of “Jerusalem” by the travelling supporters, made the perfect start for the tourists with a wicket in the opening over.
After setting Misbah-ul-Haq back in his crease with a string of short balls, he trapped the Pakistan captain lbw, without adding to his overnight 102.
After a skittish innings worth 32, Sarfraz Ahmed went on the first ball after the drinks interval, chipping Moeen Ali to James Anderson at mid-on.
Pakistan’s tail lived up to its reputation for being run shy, as the final wickets fell in a clatter, with Mark Wood picking up Asad Shafiq (83) and Zulfiqar Babar (3).
Wahab Riaz (6) and Yasir Shah (16) fell to the spinners Moeen and Adil Rashid, as Pakistan were all out for 378.
pradley@thenational.ae
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