RAWALPINDI: Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-haq gave a befitting reply to England as they put up a solid batting show on day two of the first Test at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Friday.
At stumps Pakistan were at 181 without any loss. Abdullah and Imam were 11 and 10 runs respectively away from their centuries. Shafique’s 89 included 10 4s and 2 6s while Imam’s 90 had 13 4s and a 6.
Pakistan reached to 100 in the 29th over while 150 came in the 44th over.
Earlier, England scored a mammoth 657 runs total for all in 101 overs in the first innings.
England were 506 for 4 at the end of first day. Harry Brook (101 off 81 balls) and Ben Strokes (34 off 15 balls) were unbeaten at day end. However, English batters managed to add only 151 runs on day two.
Pacer Naseem Shah was the first to pick the wicket on day two as he downed Strokes on 41 runs in the 76th over. Shah struck again and picked up a second wicket in the 82th over when the ball whipped off Liam Livingstone’s pads and straight to deep square leg.
Livingstone’s went just for 9 runs.
In the 84th over, Brook was picked out deep square leg and the third wicket came for Shah. Brook was the pick of the batters as he went on to score 153 runs off 116 balls including 19 4s and 5 6s.
Mohammad Ali also came to help and took his second wicket by removing Will Jacks on 30 runs. Leggie Zahid Mahmmod bagged Ollie Robinson (37) and James Anderson (6) wickets in the 99th and 101th overs, respectively.
Zahid took 4 wickets for 235 runs while Naseem Shah (3 for 140), Mohammad Ali (2 for 124) and Haris Rauf (1 for 78) were other wicket takers for Pakistan.
