So England have a mountain to climb tomorrow. But they are armed with crampons, warm mittens and plenty of kendal mint cake. Be sure to join us again for the final day and stick around on theguardian.com/sport for all the reports and reaction from Sharjah today. But from me, cheerio!
Updated
STUMPS
England 46-2. So Cook and co will need a further 238 runs tomorrow if they are to win this match and share the series. It’s a long shot – Pakistan’s spinners have strangled the chase so far.
Updated
22nd over: England 46-2 (Root 6, Cook 17)
Cook is troubled by a couple from Yasir, but he manages to flick away the penultimate ball of the day, leaving Joe Root to face the last … which is overpitched by Yasir and blocked away by England’s No4.
Updated
21st over: England 44-2 (Root 5, Cook 16)
Two overs left then: one from Zulfiqar, one from Yasir. We have a half-hearted appeal for a catch at leg slip here as the ball flicks away off Cook’s pad but that’s the only drama.
20th over: England 43-2 (Root 4, Cook 16)
Time for Yasir Shah? Time for Yasir Shah! But it’s a bit hit-and-miss from the leg-spinner. A single apiece for Cook and Root.
Here’s that (rather awesome) Zulfiqar appeal
19th over: England 41-2 (Root 3, Cook 15)
The entire Pakistan team go up in furious appeal as Root is whacked on the pad by Zulfiqar (who is down on one knee, waving his arms in the air like an ageing rock god belting out one final encore). The umpire says no and the fielding team use the one remaining appeal. The replay suggests it is definitely hitting leg stump … but how much? Clipping, and a meaty clip again. That’s a fairly poor decision from the umpire really but Root survives.
Bell's 9th Test dismissal for 0 or 1 this year. Only WI rabbit Merv Dillon has more (10, in 2002). Bell =2nd with Courtney Walsh (1997&2000)
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) November 4, 2015
18th over: England 40-2 (Root 3, Cook 14)
Root, looking livelier than any of his colleagues thus far, clips Malik to midwicket for one. And Cook punches into the off for similar.
“Not going England’s way?” chides Robin Hazlehurst. “Pshah, we’ve got them just where we want them. It’s perfectly set for a final day of the series with irregular wickets, heroic defence, a steadily ticking clock, and on-off showers stretching the day. And Stokes batting for two hours in the fading light with a knacked shoulder to save the draw. A romantic classic, right there. What’s that? No chance of showers? At all? Oh, sod that then, we’re doomed. As you were.”
Updated
17th over: England 38-2 (Root 2, Cook 13)
Root survives against Zulfiqar. Five overs are left in the day.
Updated
16th over: England 37-2 (Root 1, Cook 13)
Malik continues, and no wonder with figures of 5-3-4-2. Cook escapes to the non-striker’s end with a single. And then we get some fun and games as Root blocks, Malik picks up, looks to throw down the stumps, gets his throw so horribly wrong that the man at slip has to dive to save four overthrows. He manages it but is left hopping around the pitch in pain. Root does get off the mark in more orthodox fashion with a push to point.
15th over: England 35-2 (Root 0, Cook 12)
England’s batsmen have been almost completely unable to find the gaps against the spinners – not least because both Zulfiqar and Malik have bowled beautifully. Not a drag-down or a full bunger in sight. Cook does manage to squirt a single into the leg side here.
14th over: England 34-2 (Root 0, Cook 11)
This, it’s safe to say, is not going England’s way.
“My fave thing about Moeen is the excuses merry-go-round when he continues to fail,” writes Gareth Fitzgerald. “Doesn’t get runs: ‘ah, he’s in for his bowling’. Bowls rubbish: “he’s in for his batting”. Turns back on short ball: “he’s our best player of spin”. Lobs part-time spinner up in the air: “he’s in for his counter-attacking prowess”. He’s lucky he’s not big-boned or South African.”
WICKET! Bell b Malik 0 (England 34-2)
Misbah opts to continue with Malik rather than turn straight to Yasir Shah. Bell blocks resolutely for five balls … and is then beaten all ends up by an arm ball.
Updated
13th over: England 34-1 (Bell 0, Cook 11)
You already sense that this is looking bleak for England – Cook misses a sweep and is thunked on the pad by Zulfiqar. Pakistan don’t get the decision from the umpire on this occasion and they opt to review. I’m not sure it’s doing anything more than clipping off stump … and indeed that is the case. It’s a meaty clip but not enough to overturn the decision. Rosie Gaines might have something to say about that.
12th over: England 34-1 (Bell 0, Cook 11)
And that’s over.
WICKET! Moeen lbw b Malik 22 (England 34-1)
With two left-handers at the crease, Malik continues into his fourth over. And he’s trapped Moeen Ali here, who misses a clip to leg on the back foot. The ball pitches on middle and straightens a touch, enough for the umpire to raise the finger. Moeen reviews … and it’s hitting leg stump. So it begins …
Updated
11th over: England 34-0 (Moeen 22, Cook 11)
Zulfiqar continues to test Cook’s defences.
“Block and the Big Shot: aren’t they a forgetable 90s reggae act?” wonders Andy Pechey. “Hard to be sure, there was a lot of it about.”
Updated
10th over: England 32-0 (Moeen 21, Cook 10)
Malik gets one to straighten at Cook from round the wicket but not enough. The England captain is hit on the pad, there’s a big appeal and serious thoughts of a review once the umpire shakes his head. They opt against and Hawkeye shows the ball has not straightened enough. This has very quickly descended into a game of survival for England.
9th over: England 29-0 (Moeen 20, Cook 8)
Pakistan have cut off the singles here, reducing both batsmen to the Block and the Big Shot (which sounds rather pleasingly like a hard-boiled bit of film noir: Chad Block, the cop who gets results but doesn’t play by the rules; Scotty “Big Shot” McGrew, runs the whole east side with an iron fist). Another maiden from Zulfiqar.
8th over: England 29-0 (Moeen 20, Cook 8)
Malik once more. Cook pokes away a maiden.
7th over: England 29-0 (Moeen 20, Cook 8)
Huge appeal, from Zulfiqar at least, as Moeen is whacked on the pad by one that pitches on leg stump and then straightens into the batsman. Not a bad shout but Pakistan opt not to review: impact with both the pad and the stumps would’ve been umpire’s call.
6th over: England 25-0 (Moeen 18, Cook 6)
Shoaib Malik, rather than Yasir Shah, from the other end. Moeen keeps his powder bone dry for five balls … then skips down the track and attempts to launch him into the stands at long on. The ball loops off the leading edge and into the air towards point … and lands safely.
5th over: England 24-0 (Moeen 17, Cook 6)
Time for spin. Left-arm spin to be precise. Zulfiqar Babar enters the fray. And England-esque full toss allows Moeen an easy single, but Cook is beaten all ends up with the next – I’m not sure he picked the flight or the turn there. The last keeps a touch low outside off and Cook misses with a swipe. Nervy stuff for the England captain.
4th over: England 23-0 (Moeen 16, Cook 6)
Cook punches Wahab neatly, economically, down the ground for a single. And the bowler again bounces Moeen, with the batsman this time hooking confidently for another single.
If England play conventionally they'll lose this, so asking Moeen to pinch-hit, or pinch-stroke in his case, makes sense.
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) November 4, 2015
3rd over: England 21-0 (Moeen 15, Cook 5)
Moeen has responded well to that blow – Rahat tries to test him with another short one but the batsman pulls confidently for four. He blots his copybook from the next ball – swiping and missing at one outside off. Another thick edge – an inside edge this time – cannons away of Cook’s pads and off for a single.
Moeen to give it the full "Sehwag in Chennai" as the light fades please @John_Ashdown
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) November 4, 2015
2nd over: England 15-0 (Moeen 10, Cook 4)
Moeen is up on his feet and giving the back of his head a good old fashioned rub. He gets a new helmet with some added protection at the back. On resumption, Wahab offers another short one and Moeen is quick to pull to midwicket for a single. Cook thick-edges for four from the last.
Moeen Ali batting on, to applause from crowd. Genuine concern from Pakistan players
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 4, 2015
Updated
1.4 overs: England 9-0 (Moeen 8, Cook 0)
Wahab Riaz, fresh from his little cameo with the bat, charges in from the other end. Moeen, who has begun in typically positive fashion, punches through the covers for two more. A couple of balls later he ducks right into a bouncer, which crashes into the back of his neck, right under the lip of the helmet. That was a painful – and worrying – blow. Quite rightly, he takes a breather and the England physio takes his time in assessing him.
Updated
1st over: England 7-0 (Moeen 6, Cook 0)
Moeen takes strike to the first ball of the innings as Rahat Ali charges in. He gets off the mark with a clip to square leg. Rahat drops short and wide with his fourth ball of the over and Moeen drives – uppishly – through backward point for four. Seven from the over.
Updated
The players are back out. England have 22 overs to negotiate this evening.
Updated
England have never chased this many runs successfully in the fourth innings in Asia (the highest was 209 in Dhaka in 2010). But …
Teams chasing 270-299 in 4th inns in completed Tests since 2003: won 8 lost 9.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) November 4, 2015
END OF INNINGS
Pakistan 355 all out. So England will have to chase down 284 in order to win the match and level the series.
Updated
WICKET! Wahab run out 21 (Pakistan 355 all out)
Wahab sweeps and takes on Ian Bell’s throw when coming back for a second run. He’s run out by a good yard. Neat fielding from Bell, pretty dismal running.
Updated
118th over: Pakistan 354-9 (Zulfiqar 0, Wahab 20)
Zulfiqar just about sees off the remainder of Broad’s over. The lead is 282 – too much for England, in all likelihood.
WICKET! Shafiq b Broad 46 (Pakistan 354-9)
Cripes, what a balls this is! Broad gets one to jag bag prodigiously from outside off and Shafiq is castled.
Updated
117th over: Pakistan 353-8 (Shafiq 46, Wahab 19)
Huge turn for Moeen, who yelps an appeal as Wahab is whacked on the pad. It’s outside the line once more. The problem from over the wicket is that if it hits the batsman in line, it’s probably turning past leg stump. Wahab settles himself with a big, clubbing drive for four down the ground.
116th over: Pakistan 348-8 (Shafiq 46, Wahab 14)
Stuart Broad – with match figures of 34-13-56-4 – returns for what England hope will be one final blast. He bowls well wide of off stump, looking to tempt Shafiq into the drive, but the batsman leaves alone. A maiden.
115th over: Pakistan 348-8 (Shafiq 46, Wahab 14)
Moeen Ali returns once more. Three singles from the over.
114th over: Pakistan 345-8 (Shafiq 44, Wahab 13)
Wahab is enjoying himself – he cuts for a couple then sweeps for one more. Shafiq picks a Rashid googly then cuts for a single. To be fair to the spinners (who haven’t bowled well) Shafiq has been incredibly quick to latch onto anything even remotely short – he’s made average balls look like bad balls. from the last ball of the over Wahab fails to pick the googly and is hit on the pad; England go up in appeal. The umpire says no and England opt to review but more in hope than expectation – the ball is hitting outside the line.
113th over: Pakistan 341-8 (Shafiq 43, Wahab 10)
Shafiq takes a single off the first ball of the over so Patel has the potential for five balls at Wahab Riaz. He fends off the first three, then gently pokes wide of mid on for a single. From the last Shafiq dances down the track and launches over the top for six! The lead stretches out to 269.
112th over: Pakistan 333-8 (Shafiq 36, Wahab 9)
Rashid offers up a full toss and Wahab crunches through the covers for four. You begin to wonder when next we’ll see Adil Rashid in an England Test side after this.
111th over: Pakistan 327-8 (Shafiq 35, Wahab 5)
Samit Patel continues. Shafiq blocks out the first four balls then looks to find a spot for a single. Instead Patel drags one too short and Shafiq is able to rock back and pull to cow corner for four.
Hafeez showed that playing good balls and waiting for bad is a good way to bat.Problem is Eng will get fewer bad balls and more good ones.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) November 4, 2015
110th over: Pakistan 323-8 (Shafiq 31, Wahab 4)
Rashid has to finish the over he started before tea. Wahab pokes into the off side for two, then sweeps for two more. There’s a strangled appeal from the last as Wahab fails to pick the googly but it’s going down by a good couple of inches.
Updated
TEA
So that wicket brings the tea break. Pakistan are 319-8. They lead is 247. Pakistan are favourites but England aren’t quite out of it yet.
WICKET! Yasir Shah c Broad b Rashid 4 (Pakistan 319-8)
Rashid returns for one final over before tea and he grabs his first wicket. It’s an awful shot from Yasir Shah – what I like to think of as a bit of an Ashdown special: the misjudged cut hit softly straight to point.
Updated
109th over: Pakistan 318-7 (Shafiq 30, Shah 4)
Patel rips another jaffa past the outside edge of Shah’s bat and just past the off stump. A single takes the lead up to 246.
108th over: Pakistan 317-7 (Shafiq 29, Shah 4)
Anderson, that drop still fresh in his mind, roars in fuelled by fury. But Shah survives, the only scare coming off the last when a forward defensive push skims off the face of the bat but bounces over the stumps. A maiden.
107th over: Pakistan 317-7 (Shafiq 29, Shah 4)
Oh my word – James Anderson has dropped a dolly. Shafiq skips down the track and looks to blast Patel over the top but the spin forces him to skew the ball pretty much straight to mid on. Anderson gets himself in a right tangle, though, and the ball goes down. “You’ve just dropped the UBL Bank Presents Haier Mobile Cup 2015,” chirps nobody ever.
106th over: Pakistan 317-7 (Shafiq 29, Shah 4)
Anderson strays onto Shafiq’s pads and the batsmen sweetly taps the ball into the leg side for a single. That gives the bowler three balls at Yasir Shah … he’s made to play at all three, but is pretty solid in defence.
@john_ashdown England are doing this deliberately, just to play on our hope-strings
— V (@urbsmanchester) November 4, 2015
105th over: Pakistan 316-7 (Shafiq 28, Shah 4)
It’s a bit of an understatement to say England needed that before tea. What they don’t need is the full toss that Patel offers Yasir Shah first up. The new batsman punches down the ground for the third boundary of the over.
WICKET! Sarfraz b Patel 36 (Pakistan 312-7)
Samit Patel returns for what I believe is just his fourth over of the day. Sarfraz immediately sweeps for four to bring up the 50 partnership. And he repeats the trick a couple of balls later. Eight runs off the first three balls of the over, and Sarfraz moves on to 36 from 34 deliveries. But two balls later he’s gone! A ripper from Patel turns past a tentative prod forward and clatters into middle and leg.
Updated
104th over: Pakistan 304-6 (Shafiq 28, Sarfraz 28)
@John_Ashdown So what's the OBO Collective's verdict on Rashid now that his six innings of bowling are nearly over? Snog, marry, avoid?
— Ravi Nair (@palfreyman1414) November 4, 2015
It’s very hard to give a dispassionate verdict because I want him to do well so much. He’s a leggie and a Yorkie … what more could you want? And he had that terrific nearly match-winning spell in Abu Dhabi. And he can bat. But he’s not had a good Test here. Soooooo, basically I’m sitting on the fence, perhaps in part because I can’t bring myself to admit the obvious.
Anderson returns and sends down a maiden and Sarfraz.
103rd over: Pakistan 304-6 (Shafiq 28, Sarfraz 28)
Two twos for Sarfraz off Moeen’s latest over.
On commentary Michael Atherton points out that Pakistan chased down 300 to beat Sri Lanka on this very ground last year. Here’s the scorecard.
102nd over: Pakistan 300-6 (Shafiq 28, Sarfraz 24)
This has been a pretty miserable spell from Rashid unfortunately. Another half-tracker disappears to the midwicket boundary, Sarfraz the delighted beneficiary this time. And the 300 comes up.
Gah ... more long hops than a triple jump final
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 4, 2015
101st over: Pakistan 293-6 (Shafiq 28, Sarfraz 17)
The only run of the over is an entertaining one. Moeen goes round the wicket to to Sarfraz, who clips the ball to Anderson at mid on and screams his partner through for a run. I’m pretty sure I counted eight “yeah”s. “Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah.” He’s almost still calling Shafiq through for a run when he arrives at the non-striker’s end. It’s a sharp single but a good one – Anderson throws down the stumps but Sarfraz is comfortably home.
100th over: Pakistan 292-6 (Shafiq 28, Sarfraz 16)
Rashid goes round the wicket to the right-handers, looking for something – anything – to discomfit the batsmen. Shafiq simply rocks back and carves a drive through the covers for four. This pair have added 25 runs in last six overs.
99th over: Pakistan 288-6 (Shafiq 24, Sarfraz 16)
CLONK! Shafiq skips down the track at Moeen and clubs him past mid on – at catchable height – for four. Anderson was too wide to have any chance. Thereafter the batsmen go all Dick van Dyke and sweep with happy abandon.
98th over: Pakistan 279-6 (Shafiq 18, Sarfraz 13)
This has all been a little too easy for Pakistan since the drinks break – they’ve had four utterly fuss-free overs. Again Rashid sends down a full bunger, though Sarfraz can’t find the boundary, and Shafiq reads the googly and picks up another single from the last.
97th over: Pakistan 276-6 (Shafiq 16, Sarfraz 12)
England have a short leg in now as Moeen twirls in once more, but this time the off-spinner can’t quite find his length. He’s a little too full and the batsmen are each able to nudge singles into the leg side.
96th over: Pakistan 273-6 (Shafiq 14, Sarfraz 11)
Rashid continues. Shafiq, who hasn’t settled in this innings, props forward a few times then latches on to a short one and thunks a pull to midwicket for a single. There’s been an off insistence from several of the usually spot-on voices in the Sky commentary box that Asad Shafiq is a “good young player” or is “going to be a really good player” is very odd. He’s certainly a cracking player but he’s 30 in January and already has eight Test centuries. This isn’t really a breakthrough series for him. Anyway Sarfraz, the more aggressive of the pair, cuts hard for four runs that take the Pakistan lead past 200.
95th over: Pakistan 267-6 (Shafiq 13, Sarfraz 6)
Cheers Tom. Hello all. Well this is on a bit of a knife-edge. One more wicket puts England in amongst the tail; the lead is 195. If the tourists can keep the chase below 250 they’re in the game I reckon. This pair are well capable of taking the match, and the series, away from them though. Moeen, continuing after the drinks break, is milked for a couple of singles.
And that’s drinks: John Ashdown will take you through to the close from here. Thanks for reading, writing and tweeting.
94th over: Pakistan 265-6 (Shafiq 12, Sarfraz 5)
Rashid begins the over with one of his occasional rank full tosses, which is punched down the ground on the onside for one by Sarfraz. A similar one is miscued out along the ground by Shafiq to deep midwicket for another single. In the way we once - though it’s scarcely credible now – used to talk about “good Jimmy” and “bad Jimmy” with regards to Anderson, there appears a similar “good Adil/bad Adil” game of contrasts going on with Rashid. Four singles from the over.
93rd over: Pakistan 261-6 (Shafiq 10, Sarfraz 3)
Sarfraz shuffles across his stumps to turn an in-drifter from Moeen – through the leg slip Taylor’s hands! – for one. Chance? Moeen finds a decent line here to go with some now-considerable turn, and they may rue the absence of a close short leg as an inside-edge from Shafiq loops into the air off his pad but thuds to the ground before Taylor can scurry to reach it.
92nd over: Pakistan 260-6 (Shafiq 10, Sarfraz 2)
Rashid, who’s deserved a wicket more than the other England spinners but not taken one, returns to the attack. Shafiq looks to be struggling a little with his shoulder, and decides to be watchful against the leg-spinner. A crack to point for no run induces some serious wincing from Shafiq. Painful, by the looks.
91st over: Pakistan 260-6 (Shafiq 10, Sarfraz 2)
Unlikely wicket-taker Moeen continues, and concedes a single to Shafiq’s legside pull when dropping a touch too short. Then, a review! Bairstow appeals for a stumping after Sarfraz sweeps and misses, but he’s got his foot back in in time. Not out.
90th over: Pakistan 259-6 (Shafiq 9, Sarfraz 2)
Cook might well have taken Broad out of the attack at this point, but with two new men now at the crease, he unsurprisingly opts not to. Broad goes short at Sarfraz, with two men in close on the legside and a sudden air of sprightlyness in the field in general, before bringing one in on him that the batsman inside-edges to safety. He looks rather more confident next ball, getting off the mark with a fluent back-foot drive through the covers that brings him two. Broad responds by going round the wicket at Sarfraz, who drives expansively but is cut off by mid-off.
89th over: Pakistan 257-6 (Shafiq 9, Sarfraz 0)
Anderson’s short sharp spell with the new nut is brought to a close and Moeen Ali returns in his stead. Pakistan, you sense, relax and Hafeez languidly pushes an on-drive down the ground for one. Shafiq, unfazed by his recently acquired shoulder-gah, effortlessly takes another flicked single through the on-side, before – zing! – Hafeez is out! He miscues Moeen high to the long-on boundary where Ian Bell takes the catch comfortably. A really high-calibre innings is brought to a close. Is there a way back for England here?
“I reckon I can get through most of your 14 things before breakfast,” brags Phil Russell. “The trick is to start the clock after finishing breakfast the day before, giving you 24 hours to get it all done.”
Updated
Wicket! Hafeez c Bell b Ali 151, Pakistan 257-6
Well wouldn’t you know? Hafeez tosses his wicket away by holing out to Ian Bell at long-on
Updated
88th over: Pakistan 255-5 (Hafeez 150, Shafiq 8)
Broad follows Anderson in going short while the new-ball going is relatively good, this time at Shafiq, who, when presented with a fuller delivery outside off-stump, cracks a glorious cover drive to the ropes for four. Shot of the day, possibly. A similar effort, not struck quite as firmly, brings him two more. Then he’s struck on the shoulder by a short ball that loops up into the hands of Bell at short-leg, prompting some half-hearted and obviously in-vain appeals, and the appearance of the Pakistan trainer to administer some shoulder rubbing and examination. He’s Ok though.
Sweepstake latest: “No declaration!” insists Dean Kinsella from a parallel, sunnier universe. “Pakistan will be all out for 307 just after tea and England will square the series with four overs to spare tomorrow (Stokes 25 not out).”
Updated
87th over: Pakistan 249-5 (Hafeez 150, Shafiq 2)
Anderson finds some lift again, forcing Hafeez to duck beneath a straight one, but the opening batsman has played brilliantly and responds with a classy back-foot push through the offside for two to bring up his 150.
On the 14 Things, Peter Salmon ponders: “Surely the definition of success is not having to do those things.” What, not any of them? Not even drinking water?
Anyway, this one has been doing the rounds – the 14 things fact-check:
86th over: Pakistan 247-5 (Hafeez 148, Shafiq 2)
Broad begins his over by trapping Misbah plum in front, then greets the new man Shafiq with two of the short balls the Pakistan captain was doubtless expecting. Shafiq is a stylish player though, and he’s off the mark with a characteristically elegant straight drive for two. Pakistan lead by 175 – they’re still on top but England’s morale will be up now at least.
Wicket! Misbah lbw b Broad 38, Pakistan 245-5
Broad has extra men on the legside to sucker Misbah into anticipating a short ball and then pins him in front with a full-ish straight delivery. Good cricket.
Updated
85th over: Pakistan 245-4 (Hafeez 148, Misbah 38)
This pair look comfortable enough against the new ball so far as Hafeez turns Anderson away on the legside again for one, and Misbah takes a single in the same area. Anderson finds some bounce from nowhere to end the over but Hafeez manages to duck beneath it.
“Yo,” begins Joseph Matthews in the mistaken belief that I am or ever have been Down With The Kids. “Can we have a declaration sweepstake? I would pick a declaration after 1 hour of tomorrow morning’s session with Pakistan having a 314 run lead...” I’ll go for 420-5, lead of 348.
Updated
84th over: Pakistan 243-4 (Hafeez 147, Misbah 37)
Broad arrows a short ball into Hafeez’s chest but he does well to fend it down to backward of square leg for a single before Misbah adds four more with the finest of flicks behind the wicketkeeper. Another luckless over – England’s seamers must feel like this guy:
Updated
83rd over: Pakistan 238-4 (Hafeez 146, Misbah 33)
Anderson returns at the other end, as expected, and concedes a single when Misbah nudges him round the corner on the legside. Another single follows. It’s a decent enough over but there’s not massive amounts of of new-ball zip and vigour out there.
It sometimes feels as if we’re all playing a stuck record in discussing England’s spin limitations, but nonetheless Kevin Wilson feels duty bound to add this: “England will play over half of their overseas tours on turning pitches (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies). I know seam is our strength and the pitches/weather back home suit it, but each of these tours is going to be pretty depressing if all we’ve got are bowlers who’re barely better than Joe Root.” There was a decent discussion on Sky before play about how spinners are too often regarded as an afterthought in England, and how the square-peg-round-hole county cricket schedule denies spinners the chance to play much first-class cricket in June and July, when pitches are at their spin-friendliest.
Updated
82nd over: Pakistan 236-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 32)
England take the new ball, which is handed to Stuart Broad. He strays down the legside with his third ball, which Bairstow stretches and parries behind him to concede a couple of byes. Misbah then tucks Broad away off his pads for a single before Bairstow moves swiftly to take another one speared too wide down the legside. It’s not going for Broad in this over though, as a venomous short ball deflects off Hafeez’s helmet and loops over Bairstow’s head and down to the boundary for four more.
“Those 14 things[successful people do before breakfast] are fine as long as breakfast’s at 2pm, I’d’ve thought,” offers John Tucker, with eminent humanity and commonsense. “If Hafeez didn’t do all 14 before he came out today, how come he’s tormenting England so successfully?” Quite. A chink in world capitalism’s armour, there, incisively exposed.
They’re back out. To what extent will Pakistan turn the screw now?
“It’s a shame Pakistan don’t need to force a result here,” rues Jon Taylor. “Since nothing much is happening in the real game, howsabout a hypothetical: if you had to win this from Pakistan’s position, what target would you set?” I’d smack it about for half an hour now, then declare, to be honest.
Lunchtime/breakfast email: Not much inbox action so far, but perhaps you’re all Movers and Shakers and doing every single one of the 14 things that people who are Better Than Everyone Else do, early doors. Anyway, here’s Zaph Mann on the match situation: Pakistan, he reckons, “have been fortunate so far (with a biased Umpire?), luck can change. All out for 294. That’s probably too much though.” Hmm, that makes even Botham’s pre-play optimism sound a little on the gloomy side.
This level of magical realism is more up our street:
Sooooo … Pakistan’s session, then, as a result of which it’s probably Pakistan’s match. England began well and had a good 15-20 minutes at the start – a couple of terrific Rashid overs plus the usual manful determination from Anderson and Broad, but Hafeez and Misbah so obviously have the measure of the spinners and have batted excellently since. England missed what opportunities they had – a stumping, a caught and bowled – but even the opportunities have dried up in the last hour. And having failed to do 14 impressive things before breakfast, I’m off to grab some. See you in half an hour.
Lunch: Pakistan 229-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 31) – lead by 157
81st over: Pakistan 229-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 31)
But the new ball is not yet taken – Moeen continues. Misbah isn’t going to do anything daft just before lunch, or at most other times to be honest, and he calmly plays out three balls before nudging a single behind square on the legside. That’s the over, and lunch.
Updated
80th over: Pakistan 228-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 30)
Rashid continues from round the wicket – and finds a probing line and length for five balls and forces Misbah to be watchful, but the Pakistan captain nudges a single off the last ball of the over. But that’s a decent over, helped by a more attacking field. The new ball is now available.
79th over: Pakistan 227-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 29)
A leg slip is brought in for Moeen against Misbah, not before time, but the Pakistan captain shows deft soft hands to flick through midwicket for a single, smothering spin and bounce. The only run of the over. England haven’t bowled a maiden for an hour.
Updated
78th over: Pakistan 226-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 28)
A change of angle from Rashid, who comes round the wicket and targets the rough outside the batsman’s leg stump. As a result his googly causes some mild discomfort for Misbah who fends away on the legside awkwardly, before a smart leg-break then beats him outside off. It’s better from Rashid, this, though Misbah takes a simple one down to deep square leg to keep the quaint old scoreboard ticking and creaking along.
77th over: Pakistan 225-4 (Hafeez 145, Misbah 27)
Will we get an over with the new ball before lunch? Will it make a difference at all? Moeen finds a bit of drift and pace to Hafeez, whose flick on the legside is well stopped by Taylor at short leg, denying the single. The opener gets one next ball though with a pull to square leg, as does Misbah with a controlled sweep.
76th over: Pakistan 223-4 (Hafeez 144, Misbah 26)
Rashid overpitches and Misbah takes a flicked single on the legside, and Hafeez takes a swept one in the same region, but there’s then some serious turn which makes Misbah sweep across the line and miss completely. It’s good at times from Rashid, but it’s not right.
75th over: Pakistan 221-4 (Hafeez 143, Misbah 25)
These Davos movers and shakers (see preamble) may be able to do 14 fiendishly tricky things before breakfast but could they dismiss these two in these conditions? England’s bowlers can’t. Hafeeez clouts Moeen with panache to the deep midwicket boundary for four and two easy singles follow. Too easy.
74th over: Pakistan 215-4 (Hafeez 138, Misbah 24)
Rashid has looked the spinner most likely to make things happen this morning, though Misbah can work him away for one on the legside easily enough. Hafeez then squirts the ball behind square on the offside for three, giving Broad a testing chase he could probably do without. The lead is now 143.
Updated
73rd over: Pakistan 211-4 (Hafeez 135, Misbah 23)
Moeen Ali gets to turn his arm over for the first time today, replacing Patel. Misbah sweeps for a single, before Hafeez slightly mistimes an on-drive but still scuffs one run from it. Swift strike rotation ensures five runs from the over. By the way, it’s pleasing to hear that Bairstow’s enthusiastic chirping from behind the stumps involves plenty of “pal” and “mate” rather than the horribly over-prevalent “buddy”.
72nd over: Pakistan 206-4 (Hafeez 134, Misbah 19)
Rashid overpitches but Hafeez almost bunts it straight at him but it drops short, though he times his next shot rather better, swiping it to deep square leg for one, though it turned out of the rough pleasingly. And then Aggressive Misbah comes out to play, thumping a glorious straight drive into the stands for SIX to take Pakistan beyond 200 and this stand beyond 50. Rashid pulls out a decent comeback delivery though, a leg-break that beats Misbah all ends up.
71st over: Pakistan 198-4 (Hafeez 133, Misbah 12)
Hafeez advances and pushes Patel to long-off for one, but Patel then flummoxes Misbah who lunges forward at a ball that turns swiftly past his outside edge. I wonder what sort of score Pakistan fancy declaring on? 350-4? 400?
70th over: Pakistan 197-4 (Hafeez 132, Misbah 12)
Rashid replaces Broad and Misbah greets him by mowing his first ball to long-on for one. The strike is rotated smartly for three more singles, and it’s all beginning to look rather comfortable for Pakistan.
69th over: Pakistan 193-4 (Hafeez 130, Misbah 10)
Hafeez takes Patel on by taking one stride forward and essaying a controlled high chip over mid-on for four – any stats gurus got any nuggets on the highest percentage of a team’s boundaries scored by one batsman in an innings? He adds a single, and this already has the feel of a holding spell from Patel, rather than one that will conjure a wicket.
68th over: Pakistan 187-4 (Hafeez 124, Misbah 10)
Misbah pulls at a shortish one from Broad and clumps James Taylor at short leg on the helmet. Ouch, but it saves the one. A clipped single to mid-on follows, and Hafeez adds another with a nudge through the legside. Pakistan’s lead is now 115 and this partnership, already an hour old, is beginning to look bedded in.
67th over: Pakistan 185-4 (Hafeez 123, Misbah 9)
Samit Patel gets his first bowl of the morning, replacing Anderson, and Misbah dab-sweeps his first ball to fine leg for a simple two. A short one is then milked for a single before Hafeez gets four from a short ball with a rather inelegant hack over Anderson at first slip. Not much turn or menace in that over, to be honest. There’s also much bafflement in the commentary box over why Chris Jordan isn’t deployed as England’s sub fielder, as the camera pans over him toddling off for, or back from, practice.
66th over: Pakistan 178-4 (Hafeez 119, Misbah 6)
Second slip has moved a little closer to first slip now for Broad, who finds a thick edge from Hafeez but there’s not enough pace or bounce for it to carry to first slip. Then – a loud appeal for lbw, but it’s straying well down the legside and a review is rightly not taken. And that’s drinks. Pakistan are probably the happier after the first hour, given their decidedly tentative start.
Updated
65th over: Pakistan 178-4 (Hafeez 119, Misbah 6)
Misbah takes a hurried dabbed single from Anderson which puts Hafeez in a spot of peril, and he has to dive to make his ground, though the throw misses the stumps anyway. Hafeez flicks another single away through the offside. Anderson then tests Misbah with a bouncer, would you believe, but there’s not enough pace on the pitch to make ducking under it too difficult. Hafeez is now joint-second on the list of most hundreds by Pakistan opening batsmen, fact fans, (on nine) with only Saeed Anwar in front of him now.
Updated
64th over: Pakistan 176-4 (Hafeez 118, Misbah 5)
England have decisions to make about how to use the seamers with the new ball looming. Anderson, in particular, and Broad are getting some useful reverse with the old one but they’ll need a decent break before the 80th over. Will this give Misbah licence to go after the spinners again? Misbah scores an actual run off an actual fast bowler by nudging Broad down to fine leg for one.
63rd over: Pakistan 175-4 (Hafeez 118, Misbah 4)
So we’ve had a missed stumping, a tricky caught-and-bowled drop, a four that could have been held by a second slip and a short one that dollied up for a missing short leg. Will England rue these? I suspect so. Anderson continues to find plenty of reverse-swing but is beginning to look a little tired. Hafeez takes Pakistan’s lead into three figures with a deflected cut past gully for four. Have Pakistan weathered the early storm?
Updated
62nd over: Pakistan 171-4 (Hafeez 114, Misbah 4)
A bowling change, Broad replacing the mostly impressive Rashid. His first ball is wide and hacked at by Hafeez and deflects through the slips for four. Indifferent cricket all round there and Botham harrumphs mightily in the commentary box at the too-wide placing of second slip. Broad almost takes a caught and bowled, diving forward at Hafeez’s inside-edge, but though he gets his left hand to it, he can’t hold on. Technically a drop. They take a single.
One for the post-series post-mortems?
61st over: Pakistan 166-4 (Hafeez 109, Misbah 4)
Anderson hurries up Hafeez with some more well disguised reverse swing that thuds into his pads, possibly via an inside edge – Anderson offers an instinctive appeal but no one else joins in. A hurried single ensues before Misbah, you guessed it, blocks the final ball of the over. I’d love to see a wagon-wheel of Misbah-off-Anderson for this series. It would be somewhat spokeless.
60th over: Pakistan 165-4 (Hafeez 108, Misbah 4)
Rashid’s mixing his pace up agreeably this morning, and as a result Hafeez fails to get hold of an attempted swipe through midwicket, before sweeping rather more confidently to deep square leg for a single. Now will Misbah attack the spin as per? Not from the first two balls, which are well directed googlies, but the final one of the over is then cracked past mid-on for four.
Updated
59th over: Pakistan 160-4 (Hafeez 107, Misbah 0)
Misbah appears intent on resuming his tactic of simply blocking the seamers, playing defensively and correct to Anderson, who tries to push him onto his back foot with a couple of short-ish deliveries, one of which would have offered an absolute dolly of a catch for short leg were a short leg in place. Which it isn’t. Good bowling.
58th over: Pakistan 160-4 (Hafeez 107, Misbah 0)
After two really fine overs, this one is just a bit too loose from Rashid. He drops just a fraction short with his leg cutter and Hafeez thwacks it across the line to the midwicket boundary for four, and then adds two more through point. Hafeez is foxed a little more by the last ball of the over though, which is turned sharply past his outside edge.
Stat of the day contender:
57th over: Pakistan 154-4 (Hafeez 101, Misbah 0)
Hafeez pushes Anderson down to deep backward point for one. This partnership with the Pakistan captain now feels decisive, one way or t’other, and Misbah plays out the over with due care and attention.
“I don’t especially have a favourite scoreboard,” writes Ian Forth, disappointingly. “Call me a Johnny Come Lately. However I have always wondered why scoreboards were (and occasionally still are) so obsessed with the recent past. Out of all the information available to be conveyed an inordinate amount of real estate was consistently devoted to last man’s score, how he was got out (enigmatically expressed as C8 B10 – useless unless you possessed a scorecard), and what the score was at the fall of his wicket. Reflective of the sport’s reputation of being a ‘laudator temporis acti’, I suppose.” Aye. People are always moaning about “bleedin’ laudator temporis acti” in the Eric Hollies Stand.
Updated
56th over: Pakistan 153-4 (Hafeez 100, Misbah 0)
Hafeez fails to cash in from Rashid’s first bad ball of the day - an overcooked full toss – and then tries to take a risky single to bring up the ton, only to scuttle back when the absurdity of the proposition becomes apparent. Rashid then finds some extra bounce to beat him outside off stump. And then Hafeez does reach his hundred, with an emphatic sweep down to deep square leg for a single. He’s been shaky this morning but was excellent yesterday and this is well deserved.
55th over: Pakistan 152-4 (Hafeez 99)
Anderson opens up from the other end, and induces a play and miss in Hafeez’s corridor of uncertainty, before a push to extra cover brings him a single and takes him to 99. The nightwatchman Rahat digs out an attempted yorker but he’s foxed by the next delivery, which comes in at him sharply and flicks off the off-stump bails. A deserved early scalp for England.
On scoreboards, Andy Hockley has these reminiscences: “The old Trent Bridge scoreboard for me (I assume it’s old and has now been replaced with some horrible electronic nonsense). Back in the day, the amount of detail contained on that board seemed almost impossibly vast. Big data before we even knew there was such a thing.” Yeah, I remember that – a huge great big thing in the corner, though it always seemed as if it would be hard to read from a distance. Font size matters in this game.
Updated
Wicket! Rahat b Anderson 0, Pakistan 152-4
Anderson finds some feisty reverse swing and knocks out Rahat’s off stump.
Updated
54th over: Pakistan 151-3 (Hafeez 98, Rahat 0)
Rashid starts us off, bowling to Hafeez, closing in on that hundred. And he almost gets him first ball, that is turned down but well worth the appeal that is eventually turned down. And Rashid almost gets him again – Hafeez going for the big hit against a perfectly pitched googly, and missing completely. Unfortunately, so does Bairstow, who fluffs a straightforward stumping chance and the ball rolls to the ropes. Will that be as big a reprieve for the Pakistan opener as his let-off yesterday? Another lbw appeal follows after a quicker ball hurries Hafeez up a tad but it’s drifting down leg. That was an absolutely magnificent over. One run and four byes from it.
Hafeez is not out!
They’re taking a long time over this. There appears to have been no nick, but the big debate appears to be whether it pitched outside leg or not. It was a terrific leg-break to start us off, but, alas for England, it did indeed pitch outside leg.
Review!
Rashid has a keen lbw shout against Hafeez first ball!
Out they come. A pivotal session looms.
Ian Botham’s morning pitch report tells us that there are fewer scuffs and demons than might be expected on day four here – “230 is gettable for England, Misbah’s due to fail,” he jinxes, spectacularly.
Scoreboard appreciation. As an aside, Sharjah looks the most characterful of the grounds used in this series, not least because of its magnificently ramshackle old-school scoreboard. Which almost brings to mind the old van Essex have traditionally towed to festival out-grounds (particularly in the days when they used more than one). So, a bit of early-morning nerdery for y’all. Favourite scoreboards anyone?
Morning. I’m now with you in the future. And here are a couple more pieces worthy of your perusal. First up, here’s a lovely tribute to Tom Graveney from Vic Marks. And back on this match, Ali Martin picks over some of the spikier aspects of yesterday’s play, such as England mithering over Hafeez’s early reprieve, and the 12th-man goading that went with.
Preamble
Test cricket – proper, competitive Test cricket – is always about the small margins, the fractions of advantage gained in a session here or there. And, whatever else might be said about the sometimes sluggish nature of the cricket in this series and the often weightless atmosphere in the stands, this has been a series of small margins, and a compelling and competitive one for that. One rampant session on the final day almost brought England victory in Abu Dhabi, one similar one for Pakistan on day three of Test two certainly did in Dubai, and yesterday – over two sessions – you sensed the “home” side gradually taking firm control of this one.
A lead of 72 didn’t feel enough for England – not on this track, against this attack, and with these hindrances – and that feeling grew as Pakistan’s openers compiled an excellent largely untroubled opening partnership in their second innings, until a mad run-out and wickets for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson – Stakhanovite seam-bowling heroes of this series for England – gave Alastair Cook’s side a little glimmer of hope. Some disciplined bowling and resilient batting will still be required but this match remains in the balance. For now. Ah, who am I kidding? Pakistan are overwhelming favourites to inflict another UAE series defeat on England, who might take some comfort from the fact that they’ve not been as hapless this time as in 2012.
This is how it seems on Tuesday afternoon (UK time) anyhow, for I am writing this in the past, for you to read in the doubtless jetpacked-powered future of Wednesday morning. A man’s gotta sleep, damnit, so this preamble is being preambled early to avoid me having to get up even earlier. For while apparently the world’s Movers and Shakers do 14 terrifyingly impressive/implausible things before breakfast, us mediocrity-dwelling huggers of life’s bus lane can barely struggle beyond 1) groan, 2) make tea, 3) throw down some cursory breakfast and shovel same in direction of offspring, 4) put head in hands. And, for today, 5) compile an incisive and witty cricket liveblog for three hours or so (well, a cricket liveblog anyhow). Which is more than anyone at Davos seems capable of doing, so who are the losers now, eh? Eh?
Anyway, play starts at 06.00 GMT (10am local time)
Updated
Tom will be here shortly.
