Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan drive Pakistan towards big lead

Sport360 staff 17:45 24/10/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Misbah-ul-Haq in action during day three of the second Test against England.

    England were left facing a potentially series defining defeat on day three of the second Test in Dubai as Pakistan ruthlessly dismantled the touring side.

    The seemingly unmovable objects of Misbah-ul-Haq (87*) and Younis Khan (71*) shepherded Pakistan to 222-3 at stumps with their 31st and 30th Test fifties respectively in an unbroken third wicket stand worth 139.

    – FOLLOW: Live cricket scores from around the world
    – #360view: Get UAE kids involved in Test cricket

    Adding to their 93-run stand in the first innings it is the 14th time the pair have shared a century stand.

    They also took their total Test partnership past 2,800 runs, which – at an average of over 80 – is the third highest in Tests for Pakistan.

    It means the hosts are now 358 runs ahead of England and have two days left to bowl them out once again.

    Resuming on 182-3, England lost their remaining seven wickets for 60 runs in the 24.2 overs of the morning session that took us to lunch.

    It handed Pakistan a lead of 136 by the time England were all out for 242, Alastair Cook’s men knowing only a skittling of Pakistan in the second innings could revive hopes of a win.

    At the start of the afternoon that looked possible, by the close it was a distant dream.

    First James Anderson removed Shan Masood for 1, then Mark Wood bowled Shoaib Malik for 7 with the score 16-2.

    Further wickets were needed, but England were denied by the partnership of Mohammad Hafeez and Younis who put on 67 for the third wicket before the opener edge Wood to slip for 51.

    By then the match, and the series, began to slip between the fingertips of the tourists.

    And with Younis and Misbah at the wicket, any hopes of England salvaging something from the game faded with the setting sun.

    Stuart Broad spoke on Friday evening about the importance of Saturday’s first session and he was right, Pakistan’s efforts putting them well clear.

    England had began brightly before Wahab Riaz brought an end to Joe Root’s innings at the start of a remarkable spell from the quick.

    It is the fifth time Root has been out in the 80s, his failure to turn these scores into hundreds the slightest blotch on an otherwise superb career to date.

    Shortly afterwards Jonny Bairstow – on 40 – was given a lifeline.

    Having edged Shah to Younis at slip, Bairstow was sent on his way before TV umpire Chris Gaffaney was asked to look at whether the ball had been grounded.

    On review, Younis looked to have his fingers underneath the ball in much the same fashion as Anderson in the first Test in Dubai when then-third umpire Sundaram Ravi decided that the ball had carried.

    It would have been a major talking point had England not capitulated soon after.

    Ben Stokes quickly came and went, looking completely out of sorts before fending Riaz to Sarfraz Ahmed with a nothing shot.

    Under pressure Jos Buttler was next to fall to the Riaz-Sarfraz combination for a duck which puts more pressure on the ‘keeper, with James Taylor waiting in the wings.

    Buttler has now gone 11 innings without a fifty and still hasn’t registered a century in fifteen matches.

    Selectors may hand the gloves to Bairstow in Sharjah, with Taylor coming in to strengthen the batting.

    While Riaz tore England apart in the first hour and a half with pace and a hint of reverse swing, Shah found just reward in the fifteenth over of the day as fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid played an inexcusable heave that he top edged to Hafeez.

    Shah followed up with the scalp of Bairstow for 46 as England lost five wickets for 41 runs in the space of just 16 overs.

    It was a superb effort by the pair, Riaz in particular putting in a monumental shift in the searing heat of Dubai in a spell of 9-5-15-3.

    Shah went on to pick up his third wicket of the morning in truly bizarre fashion as Mark Wood seemed to be given out three times – on the pitch, on review at the request of the umpires and on review by the batsman.

    Both Riaz (4-66) and Shah (4-93) took four wickets, Imran Khan (2-33) taking care of the rest to put their side in pole position of extending their unbeaten run in the UAE to a tenth series. 

    Recommended