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Pakistan batsmen and bowlers take the home-side to a commanding position on Day 4.


 
By PakPassion.net Staff (25th October, 2015)
 
Overnight: Pakistan - Pakistan - 222/3 in 61.0 overs (Younis Khan 71, Misbah-ul-Haq 87)

First Session: With Pakistan already so far ahead in the Test, it was pretty much just a waiting game until Misbah decided to declare. He didn't get off to a great start himself, dismissed early without adding to his overnight total. It brought Asad Shafiq, in excellent form, to the crease and he and Younis set about building another partnership.

Younis went to yet another Test century and Shafiq also plundered boundaries as the lead continued to grow and the England bowlers had no answers.

By lunch, Shafiq was nearing another half century and Pakistan were 311/4.

Second Session: Quick runs were the order of the session with a pending declaration. Shafiq reached his 50 before a Younis Khan slog found the top edge and he was well taken by Moeen Ali. The declaration came when Shafiq was out for 79, leaving England a monumental 491 to chase down in just over 4 sessions.

The visitors started badly as a loose shot from Moeen off Imran Khan was taken by Younis Khan at slip. Alastair Cook looked untroubled but was dismissed again by Yasir Shah, top edging a sweep to Wahab at deep square leg. It left England precariously placed going into tea on 45/2 with their talisman back in the pavilion.

Third Session: Joe Root and Ian Bell battled hard to negate the threat of Pakistan's bowlers. Root handled the spinners particularly well, punishing anything loose and going past 50 for the 2nd time in the match. Ian Bell, potentially batting to save his career, had reached a valiant 46 before gloving Zulfiqar Babar to Sarfraz behind the stumps.

Root and Bairstow saw out the rest of the day without any further alarms. 

Summary: Another good day for Pakistan. Younis Khan added to his reputation as an all-time great while Asad Shafiq continued his fine run at number 6 before the declaration came. England batted well in the face of extreme pressure but they would still have wanted to lose fewer than three wickets.

Batting will continue to get more tricky on Day 5 and Pakistan will expect to wrap things up at some point tomorrow. On big partnership may be all England need though to give themselves a chance of escaping with a draw.

Fall of wickets:

4-224 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 64.2 ov), 
5-337 (Younis Khan, 91.4 ov), 
6-354 (Asad Shafiq, 94.6 ov)

1-9 (Ali, 4.4 ov), 
2-19 (Cook, 9.4 ov)
3-121 (Bell, 44.1 ov)

Discuss!