Broad and Panesar give England edge

Andrew Strauss (left) and Monty Panesar

Published: 1:46pm, 27th January 2012
Updated: 6:10am, 28th January 2012

England were marginal favourites to level their three-match series against Pakistan thanks to Stuart Broad's runs and Monty Panesar's wickets by stumps on day three at the Zayed Stadium.

Broad's counter-attack brought him an unbeaten 58, and helped England to 327 all out and a precious lead of 70 in this second Test.

Then Panesar (three for 44) and Graeme Swann did the damage as Pakistan lost three wickets before they could reach parity, but recovered to 125 for four.

Broad and James Anderson's new-ball pace, as in the first innings, soon seemed unthreatening. But after Panesar entered the attack in just the sixth over, he began a run of three wickets for seven runs.

Mohammad Hafeez was lbw pushing forward to an arm ball from the left-arm spinner - and Swann struck in his first over with a straight-on delivery from round the wicket to Pakistan's other opener, the left-handed Taufeeq Umar, bowled between bat and pad.

A modicum of turn - not as much as Pakistan's spinners have found here - then saw Panesar snake one past Younus Khan's outside edge to hit the off-stump.

Pakistan lost their captain Misbah-ul-Haq, and a review, via the 21st lbw decision of this series in the first over of the last session.

But Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali, billed together as the future powerhouse of Pakistan's middle order, demonstrated that potential in a determined stand of 71 which kept their team in this match.

The nearest England came to another breakthrough was Kevin Pietersen's rolled throw at the stumps which, if accurate, would have run Shafiq out for 26 after he had been sent back for an unlikely single to cover. For his trouble, Pietersen appeared to trip over the batsman as his momentum took him into the crease and was soon off the field for medical attention.

Broad and Ian Bell were the most successful on Friday morning with an evident brief to grab as many runs as possible before Saeed Ajmal (four for 108) et al bowled them out in conditions tailor-made for their skills. The former's invaluable ninth Test 50 contained six fours and a six over long-on off Abdur Rehman from just 52 balls.