Abu Dhabi: Pakistan were left with a battle to avoid conceding England a series-levelling win after Monty Panesar proved threatening with three wickets in the second Test here on Friday.
After Panesar had taken 3-44, it was left to Azhar Ali (46) and Asad Shafiq (35) to put on a 71-run stand for the fifth wicket to lift Pakistan to 125-4 at the close on the third day on a weary Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch.
Ali joined Shafiq with Pakistan reeling at 54-4, as Panesar dismissed Mohammad Hafeez (22), Younis Khan (one) and Misbah-ul Haq (12) in his sustained 20-over spell on either side of the tea interval.
But both youngsters helped Pakistan erase the 70-run lead and promised to steer their team around the trouble on a spin-assisted pitch on Saturday. Pakistan lead by 55 runs with six wickets intact.
Pakistan will look to their remaining batsmen to help produce a formidable target for England to maintain their chances in the series, which they lead by 1-0 on account of a ten-wicket win in the first Test at Dubai.
Stuart Broad gave England a crucial 70-run lead with an unbeaten 58 which took England to 327 in the morning session.
Both Ali and Shafiq defied England’s mixed pace and spin attack in the last session. As expected, Panesar came on to bowl as early as the sixth over and struck in his fourth when he spun across Hafeez’s bat to hit him on the knees.
Panesar’s spin partner Graeme Swann made it 29-2 when he beat Umar’s forward push with a delivery that came straight with the arm.
It became 36-3 when Panesar spun one across Younis’s bat and hit the off-stump, and he struck again soon after resumption, getting Misbah out. (AFP)
SCOREBOARD
Eng 1st innings (ovrnt 207-5)
A Strauss c Shafiq b Hafeez 11
A Cook lbw b Ajmal 94
J Trott b Rehman 74
K Pietersen c Hafeez b Ajmal 14
I Bell lbw b Gul 29
E Morgan c Hafeez b Ajmal 3
M Prior lbw b Ajmal 3
S Broad not out 58
G Swann lbw b Rehman 15
J Anderson b Hafeez 13
M Panesar lbw b Hafeez 0
Total: (All out in 112 overs) 327
Bowling: Gul 13-1-53-1, Khan 8-0-33-0, Hafeez 22-4-54-3, Ajmal 40-6-108-4, Rehman 29-9-67-2.
Pakistan 2nd innings
Hafeez lbw b Panesar 22
Taufiq Umar b Swann 7
Azhar Ali batting 46
Younis Khan b Panesar 1
Misbah-ul Haq lbw b Panesar 12
Asad Shafiq batting 35
Total: (For 4 wkts in 61 overs) 125
Bowling: Anderson 10-2-31-0, Broad 11-6-16-0, Panesar 25-13-44-3, Swann 15-4-32-1. (AFP)