Press Trust of India
Abu Dhabi, Oct 14: Openers Alastair Cook (39 batting) and Moeen Ali (15 batting) batted solidly to take England to 56-0 after Shoaib Malik’s (245, 420b, 24×4, 4×6) double century lifted Pakistan to a mammoth total in the first Test here Wedensday. Pakistan declared their innings closed at 523 for eight declared immediately after the dismissal of Malik.
England batsmen will have to bat out of their skins to thwart Pakistan’s pace-cum-spin attack on a pitch which did not help the bowlers on the first two days but can change its nature as the game progresses.
Ali survived a confident leg-before appeal and the subsequent review when left-arm paceman Rahat Ali brought one in sharply to hit the pads but Australian umpire Paul Reiffel gave the batsman not out.
It was a day to remember for Malik as he capped his return to the Test side after a gap of five years with an epic knock of 245, his best score in Test cricket, after coming into bat in the third over of the match on Tuesday.
Asad Shafiq, who scored 107 for his ninth hundred, added 248 runs with Malik – a new record in Pakistan-England Tests – as Pakistan added 213 runs in the two sessions after resuming the day at 286 for four. Malik’s innings finally ended when he smashed a Ben Stokes’ delivery down Ian Bell’s throat at mid-wicket.
Shafiq went soon after tea, when he was trapped leg before wicket off seamer Mark Wood while Sarfraz Ahmed (two) and Zulfiqar Babar (nought) also fell to Stokes (4/57) who was England’s most successful bowler.
Brief scores: Pakistan 523 for 8 decl (Shoaib Malik 245, Asad Shafiq 107, Ben Stokes 4/57); England 56 without loss. Match to continue.
