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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Tom Bryant (earlier) and Simon Burnton (later)

Pakistan v England: third Test, day two – as it happened

James Taylor reaches his first Test half century.
James Taylor reaches his first Test half century. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Bye then!

Right, that’s all from me. An excellent day for England, a more than excellent day for James Taylor. If the tourists, with their five wickets in hand, can turn a 12-run deficit into decent lead, they’ll be superlatively positioned - the avoidance of daunting fourth-innings targets is imperative. We’ll be back for more in the morning.

Updated

STUMPS: England 222-4, trail by 12

A session that looked key, and brought Pakistan no joy whatsoever. England, with (presumably) five wickets remaining - the results of Stokes’ scan are not yet public - are at more or less parity, and if tomorrow is as good for them as the day just completed, they’ll be well on their way to winning this match with (presumably) 10 men. There are several presumptions too many there, but still.

Taylor and Bairstow leave the field at stumps.
Taylor and Bairstow leave the field at stumps. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated

92nd over: England 222-4 (Taylor 74, Bairstow 37)

Zulfiqar’s first ball is slammed through the covers by Taylor, close enough to the fielder to force him to sprint all the way after it, and far enough for him to dive in vain. There’s also a leg bye, and Taylor ends the day standing tall, whatever his height.

91st over: England 217-4 (Taylor 70, Bairstow 37)

Yasir bowls and Taylor pushes wide of mid-on again, only this time instead of fielding it Wahab clumsily misses it and England run three, at the end of which Wahab calls the physio on to massage his damaged ego. One over to go.

90th over: England 212-4 (Taylor 66, Bairstow 36)

Pakistan go back to the double helping of spin, with Zulfiqar returning to the fray. Taylor pushes wide of mid-on, who does well to run around and fall on the ball, restricting England to a single.

89th over: England 211-4 (Taylor 65, Bairstow 36)

Another Yasir over, another Taylor single, England trail by 24 with three overs of the day (probably) remaining. “I’d say Taylor is more R2D2 than Skywalker - the plucky small robot that surprises everyone with its feisty character, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity,” writes Tom van der Gucht. “Meanwhile, Stokes is Chewy, the powerful muscle of the group; Moeen Ali is Han Solo, the swaggering gunslinger who tries to defy the odds; Bell is C3PO, the camp robot that wilts under pressure; Baylis is Yoda, the Wise old sage; Farbrace is Obi Wan, slightly more of a personal touch than the overall jedi master; Root is Skywalker, the young man carrying all of our hopes on his sprightly shoulders and Cook is Princess Leia, the majestic, graceful one seemingly destined for greatness... I may have to dig into the prequels for Anderson and Broad, there’s only Lando and that strange lobster general from return of the Jedi left.”

88th over: England 210-4 (Taylor 64, Bairstow 36)

Rahat bowls full and a bit wide, and Bairstow thwacks it through the covers for four. As lovely as that shot is, the next is extremely tentative, and the ball slides just past his nervous forward push. “You need to make sure you define what it is you’re surprised about if your hypothesis test is to be robust,” writes Stephen Holt of Jonathan’s 83rd-over coin-toss-related musings. “Probably you need to assess the probability that Pakistan won 17 *or more* of 21 tosses, and also include the equally surprising possibility of them losing 17 or more in those 21, for a proper double tailed hypothesis test. On a related note, I have long had a theory that there should only be a toss in the first match of a series, and you alternate toss winner thereafter. The possibility of a team winning all five tosses in a five match series can really skew things.” I’ve got nothing against statisticians, but there’s something about the phrase “double tailed hypothesis” that puts my brain into immediate emergency shutdown. Sorry.

Bairstow hits another four.
Bairstow hits another four. Photograph: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

87th over: England 206-4 (Taylor 64, Bairstow 32)

Yasir replaces Zulfiqar, and Taylor is back to looking fairly serene. The last two balls go for singles.

Updated

86th over: England 204-4 (Taylor 63, Bairstow 31)

If England’s selectors are squirming awkwardly at the moment, as a Taylor single tickles their score to 200, Kevin Pietersen is probably feeling a little sheepish too (if he is capable of sheepishness, obviously). Bairstow pulls for four, and England trail by 30.

85th over: England 199-4 (Taylor 62, Bairstow 27)

Bairstow snaffles a single, and Taylor drives handsomely wide of cover for four. “I’ve just finished reading the OBO from bottom to top,” writes Robert Wilson. Rather you than me, etc and so forth.. “It’s remarkable how it reads like a unified narrative today. Kind of Lord-of-the-Ringsy at the start, all portents of dread, incremental progress and absent heroes with sore shoulders. But as soon as Taylor arrives it’s pure original-trilogy Star Wars, can-do, indomitable and strike-rotating. Strangely, Taylor is much more Skywalkerish than Hobbity.

84th over: England 193-4 (Taylor 57, Bairstow 26)

Good running gets a third run from Bairstow’s deflection to third man, though that’s as much as they get from Rahat’s over. Shadows start to lengthen and thoughts start to turn to stumps. England are 41 runs behind with five wickets remaining, about eight wicket-free overs from feeling quite happy with themselves.

83rd over: England 190-4 (Taylor 57, Bairstow 23)

Zulfiqar gives the new ball a spin, and Taylor sweeps his final delivery for a couple to bring up the 50 paartnership (51 now, to be precise). “Given winning the toss can have such a bearing on the outcome of the game, I’m surprised people haven’t been commenting more on Pakistan having won so many tosses recently,” writes Jonathan. “The chances of winning 17 out of 21 (as they have done in their last 21 matches) are 0.36%; the chances of winning 17 out of 22 (we can assume they lost the toss in the match before this sequence began) are also less than 1%. These are such small odds, I can’t help suspecting the odds of some kind of malpractice may be higher.” I’m not sure, double-sided coins apart, I can conceive of a way of fixing coin tosses, and many of them will not have been won by Pakistan but lost by the opposing captain, but it certainly is quite a run.

Updated

82nd over: England 188-4 (Taylor 55, Bairstow 23)

Rahat Ali returns, new ball in hand, and Taylor immediately sends it spinning and looping into the air. He has two problems: one, it might land on the stumps; two, he has no idea where it’s gone. So he stands in front of the stumps protectively, back to the bowler, and is relieved to eventually see it rolling gently to his right. Then he gets three through cover, and Bairstow inside-edges just past his off stump for a fluky four.

81st over: England 181-4 (Taylor 52, Bairstow 19)

“What score does Taylor need to get to really embarrass the selectors?” wonders Kevin Wilson, as Pakistan turn down the new ball in order to give Azhar Ali the chance to bowl a succession of googlies. Surely they’re already a little bit red-faced, but if he scores another 48 they may have to go into hiding.

80th over: England 177-4 (Taylor 50, Bairstow 17)

James Taylor has his first ever Test half-century, scored at the fourth attempt, three years after the first, and completed with a single off his 100th delivery, just before the second new ball becomes available.

Taylor celebrates his fifty.
Taylor celebrates his fifty. Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

Updated

79th over: England 175-4 (Taylor 49, Bairstow 17)

More spin, but from a new source: Azhar Ali bowls the second over against England of his Test career, the first having come over five years ago in Nottingham, yielding five runs. This one brings three singles, and carries Taylor to the very verge of a half-century.

78th over: England 172-4 (Taylor 47, Bairstow 16)

A maiden from Wahab, featuring a very decent yorker that Bairstow pushes to safety, and a slow final delivery that dribbles through to the keeper without doing much by way of bouncing.

77th over: England 172-4 (Taylor 47, Bairstow 16)

Yasir continues after a drinks break, and Taylor ends his run of ones with another super sweep. “The answer to Russell J Turner’s question (74th over) seems to be 315 by England vs West Indies in 1986,” writes Ben Lomas. “David Gower top-scored (I presume, elegantly) with 47. The more intriguing one is the second: 304 - again by England, against South Africa in 2004 - Steve Harmison top-scoring with 42.”

76th over: England 167-4 (Taylor 43, Bairstow 15)

Taylor edges into his pads, saving himself from a decent lbw appeal (Pakistan launch a half-hearted appeal anyway, and have no reviews at the moment, though they’re only a few overs from getting a couple), and takes another single.

75th over: England 165-4 (Taylor 42, Bairstow 14)

Taylor, who has now faced 26 deliveries since he last scored any quantity of runs that isn’t none or one, gets a single to mid-off. Rob Smyth, tweet-contributor below, will be my (and your) companion on the OBO tomorrow, incidentally.

74th over: England 164-4 (Taylor 41, Bairstow 14)

A break from the two-headed spin monster, as Wahab returns, and there’s another Bairstow boundary, boshed very handsomely through midwicket. As for this question, I don’t know the answer - if everything goes well for Taylor, we only have a few minutes to find out before it becomes immaterial.

73rd over: England 159-4 (Taylor 40, Bairstow 10)

Yasir bowls, Bairstow drives, and he makes no contact whatsoever. Then he heaves, and this time makes perfectly good contact, thrashes through midwicket and gets four runs.

Bairstow smashes one for four.
Bairstow smashes one for four. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated

72nd over: England 154-4 (Taylor 39, Bairstow 6)

Zulfiqar’s latest over starts with a brace of singles, and then Taylor sweeps for another, before it ends with a Bairstow defensive push that may well have involved an edge. It isn’t caught, so ain’t no thing.

Updated

71st over: England 151-4 (Taylor 37, Bairstow 5)

These are the times when the lack of an audience probably makes a big difference. A loud Pakistan-supporting crowd would be howling and baying, ramping up the pressure and building up the tension. Instead they play in a bubble. Another maiden.

Updated

70th over: England 151-4 (Taylor 37, Bairstow 5)

That’s a Zulfi maiden, Taylor blocking and prodding with minimal ambition beyond survival.

69th over: England 151-4 (Taylor 37, Bairstow 5)

Another Bairstow single, and England do indeed have a round number! Taylor gets one too, but Pakistan’s spinners continue to pin them down a bit.

68th over: England 149-4 (Taylor 36, Bairstow 4)

Bairstow gets a single to mid-off, and England very nearly have a round number, excitingly.

67th over: England 148-4 (Taylor 36, Bairstow 3)

Bairstow, also working against the spin, gets a leading edge but the ball lands safe. Tought times.

66th over: England 145-4 (Taylor 35, Bairstow 1)

This afternoon every other over was a maiden but the batsmen often looked pretty comfortable. We now haven’t had a maiden for nine overs, but they’re anything but. Even the run that came from Zulfi’s latest over is an uncomfortable one, with the fielder at mid on hitting the stumps moments after Bairstow grounded his bat.

64th over: England 142-4 (Taylor 33, Bairstow 0)

Zulfi’s getting the ball to turn pretty wildly too, and he gets one to turn massively past Taylor’s bat. The calm of England’s pre-tea period seems a long way away now.

Updated

63rd over: England 139-4 (Taylor 30, Bairstow 0)

Well, it is all going on. Lovely is perhaps not the word I’d have chosen, but it was a fine bit of bowling, sure enough, with also some very rapid bail-removal.

WICKET! Bell st Sarfraz b Yasir Shah 40 (England 139-4)

Yasir bowls, Bell advances, misses by a distance and is promptly stumped.

Bell is stumped by Ahmed.
Bell is stumped by Ahmed. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated

62nd over: England 138-3 (Bell 40, Taylor 29)

Zulfiqar bowls and Taylor sweeps very fine, and by the time any fielder catches up with it - and two do at about the same time, approximately one more than needed to bother - the batsmen had run three. Then an lbw appeal, and finally a pretty hilarious missed chance, as Bell drives the ball into the thigh of the man at silly point and it flies into the air. It could and should have been caught, but nobody quite realised where it was and the poor guy at silly point, Azhar Ali, ludicrously flails around, hands in catching position, hoping the ball might fall into them. It doesn’t. Comedy gold.

Not out!

The bat, pushed forwards, hits the pad at the same time as the ball passes the other side. The ball might have brushed the bat, it’s really impossible to tell by replays alone, and the noise of bat hitting pad makes microphones irrelevant. So the on-field decision must stand.

Oooh, but it’s ever so close.

REVIEW! Is Bell out here?

Pakistan again think so. The umpire again does not. What will the replays show?

Back come the players. Another big session awaits. Will this partnership continue serenely, or is it jinxed? We’re about to find out.

TEA: England 135-3, trail by 99

Two hours, two wickets, 27 overs, 48 runs. It’s a slow-burner, this, but extremely watchable all the same. I’ll be back in 10 minutes.

Taylor punches gloves with Bell as they walk off unbeaten at tea.
Taylor punches gloves with Bell as they walk off unbeaten at tea. Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

Updated

60th over: England 130-3 (Bell 40, Taylor 21)

Zulfiqar bowls to Bell, the ball spins past the edge and into the gloves of Sarfraz, bringing a loud appeal but no actual edge, and thus no decision.

59th over: England 129-3 (Bell 40, Taylor 20)

Rahat bowls, and Taylor drives square for a couple, and then fends a shortish delivery into the leg side and gets a run for his troubles. He’s now got precisely half as many runs as Bell, from almost precisely a third of the deliveries.

58th over: England 126-3 (Bell 40, Taylor 17)

Talking of partnerships, this one has looked pretty settled from the start. They get a couple of singles from Zulfiquar’s latest over.

57th over: England 124-3 (Bell 39, Taylor 16)

“To say we are ‘one strong partnership from parity at the very least’ seems a bit pessimistic,” moans Tom Adam. “Pakistan’s highest partnership was 80 and it took to the sixth wicket to get it; we’ve already had a partnership of 71. Pakistan’s partnerships were 5, 44, 39, 15, 13, 80, 0, 28, 0 and 10. So far we are 19, 71, 7 and 27*. Another ‘strong’ partnership would probably nudge us ahead. Come on Tom, have another look at that glass, it’s half full I tell you!” Excellent optimism there, but you fail to factor in England’s one missing batsman, or the long-term England-watcher’s conviction that they’ll always find a way to stuff it up if there is one available.

56th over: England 124-3 (Bell 39, Taylor 16)

Blammo! Taylor sweeps, low and hard, for four. Super shot, the best of the session by a distance.

55th over: England 118-3 (Bell 38, Taylor 11)

Rahat returns, leading to some review-based excitement. “Re big stares don’t work on some people (Over 51), it is a shame really because I remember being scared of Merv Hughes from the other side of the telly when he played,” notes Ian Palmer. “Those big-stare resilience training sessions have really got a lot to answer for! I wonder how people are going to intimidate moving forward.” There’s always the option of intimidating through the excellence of one’s bowling/fielding/batsmanship, though that could be considered a little old-fashioned.

Not out!

A terrible review, that. The ball was barely in the same postcode as the bat there.

REVIEW! Is Taylor out here?

Pakistan think he edged it! The umpire thinks he didn’t!

54th over: England 118-3 (Bell 38, Taylor 11)

Zulfiqar continues and England scurry their way to a couple of pretty sharp runs, before Bell spears through the covers for a couple, carrying England past the half-way point on their trek towards Pakistan’s first-innings total.

53rd over: England 113-3 (Bell 35, Taylor 9)

Bell diverts the ball wide of midwicket for a couple. “What are the laws on subs?” wonders Harvey Lock. “Chris Jordan is a useful bat and not a bad bowler but is he allowed to do either as a sub? And what about close catching, is he allowed in the circle?” A substitute may not bat, bowl or keep wicket, but they are welcome to field anywhere else they like - indeed Cook was caught at slip by a substitute fielder during the second Test.

52nd over: England 111-3 (Bell 33, Taylor 9)

Bell gets a single to take England to Nelson, and then Zulfi convinces the ball to turn wildly and bounce exhuberantly, and it flies past Taylor’s bat.

51st over: England 110-3 (Bell 32, Taylor 9)

“Pakistan haven’t done their homework if they think that big stares are going to get to James Taylor (over 48). Great player and very, very tough,” writes Jonathan Wood, as the batsman sees out a Wahab maiden. “It feels like this is England’s present and future No4’s batting here.” Survival of big stares is a pretty basic test of a potential international batsman, but he’s passed with flying colours.

50th over: England 110-3 (Bell 32, Taylor 9)

Yasir’s first delivery is smashed past midwicket by Taylor for four, England’s first boundary for 16 overs.

49th over: England 105-3 (Bell 32, Taylor 4)

Hello! Well, this is teetering on a knife-edge. England are 129 runs behind, one strong partnership from parity at the very least, a couple of rapid wickets away from parity being quite distant. One fears that the whole one-batsman-less thing might become an issue at some point soonish. At the current scoring rate - the last 15 overs have brought 18 runs, with a no-ball swelling England’s score by one this over - it’ll take another 108 overs for England to draw level.

48th over: England 104-3 (Bell 32, Taylor 4) Yasir Shah has found a little drift to go with his turn and Taylor, who was playing the spinner reasonably aggressively in the last over, has to be more cautious now. He prods a ball back at the bowler, and Yasir threatens to throw down the stumps, following it up with some Big Staring. Taylor has a chuckle. Another maiden. And that’d drinks - on which note, I’ll bid you farewell and hand over to Simon Burnton - email him on simon.burnton@theguardian.com

47th over: England 104-3 (Bell 32, Taylor 4) Wahab will replace Rahat for a blast at the other end. Bell is watchful before unfurling a drive through the covers for two. Wahab won’t be worried about that - he’s trying to entice Bell into a drive to bring those slips into play.

46th over: England 102-3 (Bell 30, Taylor 4) Taylor gets off the mark and brings up the England 100 with a sharp cut through point. He’s all action in the crease, feet scampering all over the place. There’s a little excitement in the stands as Taylor thumps a ball into the ground, which is caught by Yasir and looked like a catch to those sitting several hundred feet away. Yasir ups the excitement levels by hurling the ball at the stumps. Taylor is attempting to be positive, using his feet, swishing his bat, and he drives the bowler uppishly for two off the outside edge.

45th over: England 98-3 (Bell 30, Taylor 0) Bell is quite happy to step on the brakes for a bit, steadying the ship. Ian Bell. Steadying the ship. Gulp. England are 11-2 since lunch.

44th over: England 98-3 (Bell 30, Taylor 0) Yasir Shah changes line to Bell, coming round the wicket and looping the ball up, attempting to turn the ball around the batsman’s legs. Bell nurdles him down to mid off for one. Tricky period this for England, with Pakistan in the ascendancy and Taylor playing his first Test in three years.

43rd over: England 97-3 (Bell 29, Taylor 0) England may as well be 97-4, given Stokes has yet to have his scan and certainly won’t bat. It was a terrific catch from the keeper, but Root was out of sorts throughout that short knock and unsure which way Rahat was going to swing the ball. A wicket maiden. Pakistan have turned this game around after lunch.

WICKET! Root c Sarfaz b Rahat 4 (England 97-3)

It did carry. And Root, who has looked uncertain throughout his short innings, has fallen into the trap that Rahat has been trying to set all day, nicking a ball pushed across his bows behind. James Taylor the new man in.

Pakistan’s players celebrate after dismissing Root.
Pakistan’s players celebrate after dismissing Root. Photograph: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

43rd over: England 97-2 (Bell 29, Root 4) Root edges Rahat behind to the keeper - the umpires are not sure it carried. They’ve reffered it upstairs but think it is out …

Updated

42nd over: England 97-2 (Bell 29, Root 4) Again Root gets himself down the other end as quickly as he can, taking a single from the first ball of the over. It allows Bell to steer an elegant drive through the covers but, for once, Shoaib doesn’t misfield and instead dives to prevent four. Next ball, Bell toe ends an attempted sweep from a full toss. The ball loops up past short leg and falls safely to the ground.

41st over: England 94-2 (Bell 28, Root 2) Root is relieved to get off strike first ball of the over, clumping Rahat for a single to leg. The bowler continues to angle the ball across the right handed Bell but drops a touch short, and Bell clips him neatly through point for two. Rahat drops another one just short of a length, and the ball barely gets up above stump height. Bell is briefly tempted into a shot before withdrawing his bat at the last minute and giving the bowler a nod of approval. It’s an odd thing to do that, isn’t it? Why encourage a bloke throwing a hard thing at you at 85mph?

40th over: England 91-2 (Bell 26, Root 1) Yasir Shah is bowling very well indeed, his confidence up after getting Cook. He gets one delivery to nip sharply from middle to outside off, then follows it up with a rare googly. Bell is equal to it for now, playing straight and with soft hands.

39th over: England 91-2 (Bell 26, Root 1): Rahat finds an absolute jaffa from somewhere. The left armer is bowling over the wicket, slanting the ball across Root, but he manages to find a little reverse swing and jags the ball back from just outside off to within a fraction of the off stump. Root is cut in half by the delivery, then wafts slightly at a ball that Rahat sends across his bows. The bowler sticks with the line, and Root hangs a bat out at another one as he dithers, unsure if Rahat is going to reverse the ball into him again. Dicey days for the batsman. Good over.

“I’m going to assume that it’s a safe bet that Stokes is reading this OBO,” writes Michael Hunt. “If he’s off to Healthcare City, where a lot of the hospitals are what with them not being very original in their naming of locations in this part of the world (Sport City, Internet City, Knowledge Village etc), so just to let him know they do a very good chicken shwarma wrap in the food hall, but the olives are a bit weird so probably avoid those.”

38th over: England 91-2 (Bell 26, Root 1): Thats the third time Yasir Shah has got Cook in three innings, and it brings Root to the crease to face a bowler with his tail up. He sends a beautiful ball just past Root’s outside edge, before the batsman gets off the mark with a push and a scamper down the other end.

Updated

WICKET! Cook c Azhar b Yasir Shah 49 (England 90-2)

That has been coming for ages. Yasir Shah turns one from outside off, Cook plays back and edges it straight up to short leg. There was a little bit of pad involved and Cook thinks about reviewing but then trudges off.

Cook walks for 49.
Cook walks for 49. Photograph: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

37th over: England 90-1 (Cook 49, Bell 26) Cook inches nearer his 50 with a single clipped off his pads. Rahat is attempting the same trick that Wahab attempted - he is trying to slide the ball across Bell, hoping for a nick to the two slips and a gully who wait. Bell has not shown the slightest inclination that he will fall into this trap yet today.

36th over: England 89-1 (Cook 48, Bell 26) Less head-scratchingly, Yasir will trundle in from the other end. Not that he really trundles, he springs in at quite a lick, really whizzing his arm over. Bell is cautious before, increasingly comfortable, he cuts him to third man for two … but then, having said that, he does a Bell but is saved from a certain lbw by a faint nick of inside edge.

35th over: England 87-1 (Cook 48, Bell 24) Rahat bounds in after lunch, which is a little bit of a head scratcher. He looked gloriously inoffensive earlier this morning. Still, he’s straight enough and fullish, prompting Cook to play him carefully for a maiden.

Here’s the latest on Ben Stokes, from the Guardian’s man with his ear to the ground in Sharjah, Ali Martin: “Stokes’ hospital appointment not for another two hours (circa 2.30pm local time) - possible we will get an update later today as to his availability for remainder of the Test (can’t see anything other than ruled out, sadly) but the scans will then be sent to a specialist back in UK who will give a longer prognosis (ie rehab time, chances for South Africa etc). This latter update could well be tomorrow.”

An email from Robin Hazlehurst, which more or less sums up Bell’s career: “Not sure about these Bell predictions. Haven’t we got to the stage where the criticism of him is loud enough that he actually pulls out a classy and stylish but ultimately meaningless century in a lost cause to remind everyone of why he is in the team and secure his place for the next tour. Where he will proceed to get out regularly in the twenties to idiotic shots.”

Afternoon session ahoy!

Well, a good morning for England then who have recovered very well from Mooen Ali throwing his wicket away with an appalling attempted slog. Cook has given up a few chances but is still steering the ship, Bell has scratched around a bit but improved as he got his eye in, and England’s score is very respectable.

Still Pakistan will have been encouraged from the two chances Cook nearly gave to the leg slip, and the two he gave to short leg. However, the pitch has not spun as much as it did yesterday, which has helped England. Should be an interesting afternoon. See you in half an hour.

Updated

34th over: England 87-1 (Cook 48, Bell 24) Cook smiles ruefully at Bell as he realises he has to face another six balls of Yasir Shah, but he plays him better this over and flicks him through midwicket for a single early on. Bell then confounds the OBO collective and thumps a full tos to the mid on boundary to take his score past 23. And that’s lunch.

33rd over: England 82-1 (Cook 47, Bell 20) Zulfiqar returns with the lunch bell imminent. Suspect Pakistan want a quick over so Yasir Shah can have another quick go at Cook. The England captain’s not having it, and is slowing things down, keeping strike so that he is off strike next over. Then he sweeps for a single from the last ball of the over, thus putting himself in the firing line for Yasir.

32nd over: England 81-1 (Cook 46, Bell 20) Cook is very lucky again! He inside edges onto his pad as Shah turns one into him from outside off. The ball pops up tantalisingly and drops to the ground wide of short leg’s right hand. He appears to be playing the spinner down the wrong line, trying to push him to extra cover and getting it wrong. He is better a couple of balls later, rolling his wrists and playing the spin more effectively for a single.

31st over: England 80-1 (Cook 45, Bell 20) Wahab;s back having changed his boots and had a good breather for an over. Hmmm. His first ball back is rank filth down the leg side and Bell misses out on the four that would take him past OBO consensus’ 23 as his attempted clip connects with only air.

Some news on Ben Stokes - apparently his scan is this afternoon, which explains why there will not be any results until later today.

30th over: England 80-1 (Cook 45, Bell 20) Wahab trots off the field following his three-over stint, takes a seat in the stands and takes his shoes off. Wish I was on his shift pattern. Cook, more used to the long shift, clubs Yasir Shah to the square leg boundary - again picking out Shoaib who, again, fumbles the ball and this time concedes four. Cook is less happy a few balls later and edges onto his pad, breathing a sigh of relief as the ball drops wide of short leg.

29th over: England 76-1 (Cook 41, Bell 20) A rare thing this: an umpire has called a no ball. Remember where you are, this could be your JFK moment. Well done Bruce Oxenford. Cook takes a single off it to allow Wahab to attempt to slide the ball across Bell once more. There are two slips and a gully waiting for a nick but Wahab only gives it three balls before coming around the wicket and changing his line. Bell blocks and leaves solidly enough.

28th over: England 74-1 (Cook 40, Bell 20) Cook sweeps again, and Cook gives that leg slip something to get excited about once more, the ball somehow evading his bat before hitting his pad, then again evading the bat as Cook follows through. He’s very lucky Yasir Shah doesn’t get him a third time there. Still, he makes amends, getting to the pitch of ball a few minutes later to drive the bowler to the cover boundary. The umpire has a little word with the bowler at the end of the over to remind him that it would be preferable if he didn’t run down the middle of the pitch.

27th over: England 69-1 (Cook 35, Bell 20) Cook benefits from a misfield by Shoaib Malik as he pushes down the ground for two. That will really irritate Wahab, who spent four balls tucking Cook up with full, fast and straight bowling, only for him to release the pressure thanks to some iffy fielding. Meanwhile, an exercise in comparing and contrasting follows:

The view in Sharjah
The view in Sharjah Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Reuters
The view outside my window
The view outside my window Photograph: Catherine Ruttimann/Demotix/Corbis

26th over: England 66-1 (Cook 32, Bell 20) Yasir Shah has changed ends and is now bowling into the wind at Bell. He has a man back on the rope at mid off, preventing Bell from hitting him over the top. Bell pushes him for a single down to that man, remorselessly marching onto to what the OBO consensus has agreed will be a disappointing 23ish. Cook survives a loud appeal as he attempts to glance the ball fine. The ball came off his pad, rather than bat though, before being caught by the leg slip.

25th over: England 64-1 (Cook 31, Bell 19) There’s a change of tactic to Bell. Wahab returns, bowling left arm over, and is attempting to slide the ball across the batsman and into the waiting hands of the slip cordon. That’s the plan though, but plans are funny little things. He’s too straight and Bell gets off strike immediately with a single. Wahab bowls on or just outside off to Cook on a good length and in the mid 80s. Cook blocks and leaves him diligently.

24th over: England 63-1 (Cook 31, Bell 18) Again Cook sweeps and again he looks uncertain doing so. This time he does so along the ground, but it’s not a confident shot. Better comes later in the over when Cook clips Zulfiqar through the covers off the back foot for four. Lovely shot.

23rd over: England 57-1 (Cook 25, Bell 18) Ben Stokes is on the England balcony, fast asleep and no doubt rattling with painkillers. In fact, he’s probably had so many of the things his helmet will come with a childproof cap on it. There should be some news of the results of those scans on his shoulder this afternoon. Bell clips a couple of runs through midwicket.

A textbook reverse jinx attempt here from Gary Weightman:

22nd over: England 55-1 (Cook 25, Bell 16) Zulfiqar continues to Cook, and the England captain plays a slightly iffy sweep to his fourth delivery and top edges the ball a touch. The ball flies through the vacant midwicket area in the air and Cook is a little fortunate there is no-one there to catch him.

21st over: England 53-1 (Cook 23, Bell 16) Cook works a single, before Bell suddenly springs into life. He takes two half steps down the wicket and drives Yasir Shah fluently through the covers for four. Lovely shot - and a sign Bell is casting off the scratchy form he arrived at the crease with? A flick off the back foot very nearly travels to the boundary (and would have done on a pitch with a regular outfield) and is, again, a lovely stroke. Bell will be out next over, won’t he?

20th over: England 46-1 (Cook 22, Bell 10) Cook pushes Zulfiqar (0-12 off seven) through the covers for one.

“Has any Test felt more alien to follow than this one this morning? Yes, I’ve woken up to snow many times with us toiling in India, but it’s been a proper pea souper this weekend, and listening to us nurdling around in Sharjah while I reluctantly trundle to the Olympic pool to try and not drown it feels like I’m in a rubbish remake of Blade Runner,” emails Rebecca Adlington Guy Hornsby. “Perhaps it’s contributing to the sense of impending batting doom. Perhaps I’m just expecting Bell to get a brisk 23 before holing out.”

19th over: England 45-1 (Cook 21, Bell 10) Here comes Yasir Shah, a man who got Cook out twice in the last Test. Cook’s taking no chances and takes one off the leg spinner’s first delivery. Bell nods his appreciation to Yasir’s final ball of the over, a delivery that pitches on middle and off and turns six inches past the off stump. And that’s drinks.

18th over: England 44-1 (Cook 20, Bell 10) A single to Cook. It’s 7am where I’m sat, there’s thick fog outside and a brilliant, intense green on my TV screen, the heat almost visible in the Sharjah ground. Anyone else got a more contrasting view at this time on a Monday morning?

Updated

17th over: England 43-1 (Cook 19, Bell 10) Cook clips a single, bringing Bell back into the firing line. Shoaib comes around the wicket, flighting the ball. Bell drives for one, ignoring the two men who have been brought in short on the leg side and who await with gleaming eyes and bucket-like hands. Cook, who is looking assured, sweeps Shoaib twice, first for two and then for one. Cook of course was out sweeping in the last Test.

16th over: England 38-1 (Cook 15, Bell 9) The spinners are on top but there does not appear to be as much turn as there was yesterday. Cook turns Zulfiqar off his pads for a single, leaving Bell to scratch and scrape his way to the end of the over.

15th over: England 37-1 (Cook 14, Bell 9) England are in danger of falling into the trap Pakistan stumbled into yesterday afternoon. Instead of working the singles, rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking, they are either blocking or slogging as if it’s either boundary or nothing. Cook is doing a better job of things, admittedly, but Bell is in all sorts of pain. Ball tracking, by the way, showed that Pakistan were correct not to review that lbw shout - the ball hit the batsman fractionally outside the line and it would have been umpire’s call.

14th over: England 34-1 (Cook 13, Bell 7) Oh Belly. Zulfiqar sends down a delivery that straightens on Bell, who has decided that the best form of defence is attack. He is caught on the back leg attempting a wild sweep, getting nowhere near the ball. There’s a huge lbw shout, but then Pakistan elect not to review it when perhaps they should have done.

13th over: England 34-1 (Cook 13, Bell 7) Cook sets off for a quick single. Bell tells him to do one. So Cook has to scamper back in to the crease in the harum scarum style. A maiden.

Here’s John Starbuck: “We expect it to be hot in Sharjah, but I found myself wearing short sleeves and a sun hat yesterday - in November! In Yorkshire! At this rate, we can adapt to global warming by having Pakistan tour England in winter.” Sun in Yorkshire? It’s the end of days.

12th over: England 34-1 (Cook 13, Bell 7) With men all around the bat and the outfield slow, Bell elects to take both factors out of the equation and lofts Zulfiqar back over his head for six. A lovely shot and all, but still enough to make you wonder if we’re going to get another lovely 16 runs from Bell today before he’s back in the hutch in six overs’ time. He props forward to Zulfiqar’s third delivery and watches with heart in mouth as the ball turns half an inch past the edge of his bat.

11th over: England 28-1 (Cook 13, Bell 1) Given the fact that Stokes is unlikely to bat, England are essentially two wickets down. Which makes Moeen’s mow an even worse choice. Clearly his brief is to play his natural game and get bat on ball - but not so early in the innings surely, and not with such a long day ahead. His series average is 12. Cook and Bell trade singles, before the captain carves Shoaib through point for what should have been a four but, on this slow outfield, is a two. Frustrated, he smacks the next ball harder and just about manages to pull it to the boundary.

Updated

10th over: England 20-1 (Cook 6, Bell 0) Earlier I typed that Moeen was looking in exactly the sort of elegant and classy form that usually means he rattles up 20 and gets out. Then I deleted it because it seemed harsh and unfair. Ah. That really was an ugly shot from the opener, his eyes lighting up and his brain saying: slog, slog, slog. Cook works Zulfiqar for one before Bell survives a (very optimistic) lbw shout to his first ball facing the bowler. He’s got two slips, a silly point and a short leg to contend with but just about navigates a course to the end of the over.

WICKET! Moeen Ali c Younis Khan b Shoaib Malik 14 (England 19-1)

Moeen has an ugly swipe acros the line, an attempted sweep/mow and top edges high in the air to slip. Pretty average that.

9th over: England 19-0 (Cook 5, Moeen 14): Wahab can join Rahat out there, and will possibly rue the fact he didn’t try Moeen out with a couple of short balls before being told to stand down. Shoaib Malik comes around the wicket to Moeen, attempting to turn the ball away from the left handed batsmen and …

8th over: England 19-0 (Cook 5, Moeen 14): Turns out that, if you’re a seamer who goes for nine in your second over of the day on a turning wicket, you’re going to get the hook. Hence Rahat can spend some time in the deep thinking about things and Zulfiqar Babar is invited to spin a few left-arm orthodoxes. There’s a brief moment of alarm when Cook sends Moeen back when there was a clear run, before both batsmen work a couple of singles.

7th over: England 17-0 (Cook 4, Moeen 13) Moeen drives Wahab for two, as easy on the eye as a couple of slices of cucumber. He’s elegant and classy, but though he’s timing the ball, there’s so little pace in the outfield that where he should have four he is getting only two.

6th over: England 15-0 (Cook 4, Moeen 11) And that’s a lovely shot. Moeen barely moves his feet, simply shifting his weight onto his back foot, and drives Rahat elegantly through the covers for four. Next, he uses his wrists to whip the bowler through midwicket for another couple, before Rahat remembers that line outside the off stump that troubled Moeen in the previous over. Moeen, determined as ever to put bat to ball, swishes at it to much oohing and aahing in the slips, before driving for one from the next delivery. Cook gets in on the act, carving a couple of runs through point too.

5th over: England 6-0 (Cook 2, Moeen 4) Cook gets off the mark with a solid push to wide mid off, scampering a couple of runs much to Wahab Riaz’s irritation given the look of thunder on his face.

4th over: England 4-0 (Cook 0, Moeen 4) Pakistan revert to tradition and throw the ball to Rahat Ali, rather than a spinner. Moeen will face the novel experience of opening the batting having had a night’s kip rather than having bowled 30-odd overs in blistering heat. Will be interesting to see if he makes the most of it or whether it’s given him too long to think. He blocks his first five balls, his bat scything down to the perpendicular from an angle that always makes you suspect there might be a chance of an edge if his timing is off. And it’s not an easy pitch to get your timing right on. And it nearly comes on Rahat’s final delivery, Moeen propping forward to a ball that left him slightly and whizzed past the edge.

3rd over: England 4-0 (Cook 0, Moeen 4) Play! Cook is facing the left arm seam of Wahab Riaz in the first over of the day and he plays as watchfully as you might expect: straight bat, on the front foot and leaving anything he can. A maiden.

Mike Selvey is less certain that England can score on this wicket.

Bumble is on the pitch and he thinks it has dried out a touch, but believes it will not offer as much spin as on day one. He reckons today will be the best day for batting, with the pitch relatively tame and set to break up on day three. Or, in other words, fill your boots England if you want to win this Test, because today’s the day to build a platform. It also looks hot, really hot, already. Not that appears to bother Cook in the slightest.

A tweet! In fact, three:

Three. Definitely option three.

Another thing that also did not go to plan on Sunday was the injury to Ben Stokes. The all rounder has damaged his shoulder attempting to take a spectacular one-handed catch at backwards square leg. He landed hard on his right shoulder and will find out how badly he has damaged it today when he goes to hospital for a scan. As England’s best outfielder, a potentially damaging batsman and very useful seam option, he will be a very big loss if, as feared, he is out for the remainder of this series and potentially the winter tour to South Africa as well.

“Those funny little plans,” as Mercury Rev once sang, “that never work quite right.” It’s tempting to think it’s going round the heads of the England cricketers. You pick three spinners, four if Joe Root is to be counted, on a turning wicket and so your seamers take six of the wickets. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad were outstanding on day one of this Test match, while Samit Patel, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid - in conditions that favoured them - were less impressive, struggling until the afternoon session to really find much control.

Still, though, to get Pakistan out for 234 having fought back impressively was no mean feat and means the Test is pretty much even stevens at this point. Batting today will not be much fun: the pitch is a tricky one on which to time your shots as it offers little pace, while the turn that Yasir Shah is likely to delight in will cause its own special hell. So it will take a lot of discipline, a little luck and lots of patience. So it was amusing to see Moeen come in last night, and with his captain’s words - “Just play for the close, Moeen, nothing silly …” - ringing in his ears, he tonked the penultimate ball of the day high over midwicket for what was very nearly a six. Plans, eh.

Updated

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