Pakistan tore through England on day three, to lead by 358 with seven wickets in hand in the second Test in Dubai.
It was honours even going into the third day as England started on 182-3, but the remaining wickets fell for 60 runs, largely thanks to Wahab Riaz, who tucked into the top order. Matters then got worse for England as Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifty on a dominant day for the hosts.
There didn’t appear to be too much of a threat at first with Joe Root and Johnny Bairstow finding the boundary with ease. Root then fell for 88, once again snicking a wide delivery.
England’s soft middle order was exposed once again, as Wahab Riaz used his relentless pace at an awkward angle to claim his second and third wickets of the morning. Ben Stokes fell for four, the disappointing Jos Buttler walked for a duck.
Yasir Shah cleaned up the tail inside the first session to see England all out for 242 – 136 runs short of Pakistan’s total.
Pakistan had their tails up and went about their work with the bat efficiently, bar a couple of early wickets. Jimmy Anderson saw off Shan Masood for the fourth time in this series for one, while Mark Wood accounted for Shoaib Malik for seven.
The partnership between Younis and Mohammad Hafeez put Pakistan in a commanding position, as Hafeez notched up fifty before Wood got him for his second wicket.
Then came the partnership between Younis (71) and Misbah (84). They put on 93 in the first innings, but they remain unbeaten on 139 in the second. Misbah struck four sixes in a stand which has put the hosts firmly in control. They will look to pile on the runs on day four before sending England into bat at some stage later in the day.
