DUBAI — Pakistan’s bowlers wore down a tough resistance from England’s tail to win the second Test by an emphatic 178-run margin in Dubai Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah (4-87) and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar (3-53) shared the bowling honors as England, set a daunting 491-run target, was bowled out for 312 late on the fifth day with just 6.3 overs left in the match.
A win early in the day was very much on the cards, but England’s ninth wicket pair of Rashid and Mark Wood (29) put up a valiant fight for 29.2 overs through their 55-run partnership.
Babar ended Wood’s resistance while Shah finished the match by ending Rashid’s 239-minute resistance by having him caught in the covers in the fading light as Pakistan fielders embraced each other.
Pakistan had sensed victory at lunch with just four wickets to take but first Rashid and Broad frustrated them through their 60-run stand for the eighth wicket and then the Rashid-Wood stand lasted for nearly two-and-half hours.
Before tea Riaz bowled Broad to bring Pakistan two wickets closer to the win, but Rashid and Wood carried England to 285-8 at tea with 31 overs remaining to bat for a draw.
Pakistan could have finished the game before the break but Mohammad Hafeez dropped a regulation catch in slip when Rashid edged a Shah delivery when on 42.
Rashid completed his maiden 50 soon after tea, pushing for a quick single off Raiz. It took him 110 balls of defiance to reach the mark including five boundaries.
In all Rashid batted for 172 balls, hitting seven boundaries.
The victory was important for Pakistan after it narrowly escaped defeat in the first Test in Abu Dhabi when bad light helped it draw the match in final minutes.
England’s hopes of a fightback were pinned on Joe Root (71), who resumed cautiously on 59 as Pakistan attacked through Babar and Riaz.
Root completed 3,000 Test runs when he reached 61 with a single off Riaz towards square-leg. He completed the milestone in his 34th Test and became the 41st English batsmen to score 3,000 or more runs in Test cricket.
Pakistan’s win came on the same day (Oct. 26) when it achieved its first-ever Test win, against India at Lucknow 63 years ago.
“You have to give credit to the opposition when the ball is turning and two really good spinners were bowling they showed really good character,” said Pakistan skipper Misbahul Haq.
Cook said England’s slump on the third day was costly. “That morning on day three has really cost us,” said Cook of England losing seven wickets for 36 runs to be bowled out for 242 in its first innings in reply to Pakistan’s 378. “But the character we showed today ... they are a fantastic bunch of guys who refused to buckle. The innings Adil played, he’ll take a lot from that.”
The third and final Test starts in Sharjah on Nov. 1. — AFP
