Joe Root’s unbeaten half-century yesterday helped stuttering England reach 182-3 at the close on the second day of the second Test after Pakistan’s seam and spin attack dismissed the openers cheaply.
Pakistan, playing in their adopted United Arab Emirates home, were bowled out for 378 before lunch, some erratic slogging seeing the hosts’ final five wickets to fall for 44 runs.
Pakistan pacemen Wahab Riaz and Imran Khan were given the new ball, and captain Misbah-ul-Haq packed the slips cordon.
Wahab had Moeen Ali (1) caught brilliantly by Shan Masood at short-leg.
Skipper Alastair Cook was joined at the crease by Ian Bell (4) and the veteran No. 3 was again found wanting, feathering a full Khan delivery to the slips as England slumped to 14-2.
Root and Cook — Test cricket’s top two run scorers this year — repelled Pakistan’s ferocious onslaught to reach 105-2 at tea, although England’s skipper was fortunate on 27.
Attempting to sweep Zulfiqar Babar, the ball struck pad and skidded on to the stumps, but the bails somehow stayed on.
Misbah brought Yasir Shah to the fore as the light faded.
The leg-spinner, the fastest man to 50 Test wickets for Pakistan, missed the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi with injury and initially did little, England’s batsmen scoring freely until Misbah positioned a leg-slip.
Cook tried to guide a Yasir (1-59) delivery around the corner, but found only the hands of the newly stationed fielder.
England’s skipper walked for 65, his partnership with Root worth 113 as the tourists stumbled to 130-3.
However, Root was unbowed, claiming a 15th Test half-century with a single through short-leg.
He is to resume on 76, with Jonny Bairstow on 27 not out.
Pakistan had begun the day on 282-4, Misbah and Asad Shafiq resuming their partnership of 104.
Mark Wood (3-39) partnered Stuart Broad, who trapping Misbah (102) LBW with the day’s fifth delivery.
Safraz Ahmed was caught at mid-on for 32 and Yasir (16) miscued another attempted big hit to slip.
Zulfiqar (3) did not move as Wood’s inswinging Yorker caught him LBW, the ousted batsmen holding his head in shame.
Shafiq (83), who required prolonged treatment after Wood’s full-toss thundered into his knee, was last out, caught at short midwicket.
NEW ZEALAND TOUR
New Zealand yesterday launched their tour of Australia with a thumping 102-run win over the Prime Minister’s XI in a one-day game in Canberra.
After setting a target of 307, aided by opener Tom Latham’s 131, the Black Caps — led by paceman Trent Boult — made light work of Test aspirants Usman Khawaja, Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns with the pink ball at the Manuka Oval, dismissing the trio for a combined total of six runs.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
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