Pakistan vs England 3rd Test Day 2: England on top, updates

James Taylor came to the fore with his maiden Test half-century as England made a strong reply to Pakistan’s first-innings score of 234 all out in the third and final Test.

Bell was struggling and eventually went for 40, but Taylor took the game to the home side and an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 83 runs with Jonny Bairstow (37) put England in the driving seat.

The Nottinghamshire all-rounder had reached 41 not out at the lunch interval with England’s total on 285-7.

It must be said too that Alastair Cook though labored in the middle to find the gap, he however managed to thwart the early threats after his partner Moeen Ali was dismissed cheaply.

Joe Root (four) soon joined his captain back in the pavilion after Sarfraz Ahmed took a low, one-handed catch off Rahat Ali to send him back. In its first innings, Pakistan was bowled out for 234 runs.

In England’s first innings of the third Test, Bell dug in and did all he could to help his team’s cause.

Bell and Cook had steadied the innings with a 71-run stand for the second wicket.

“It’s been a real tough wicket to bat on”.

Younis, who made a brilliant hundred in the second Test in Dubai, looked in good shape before falling leg-before as he missed a full toss from Anderson and unsuccessfully challenged the umpire’s decision. It was a great way to go out and start again.

Paceman James Anderson was rewarded for his immaculate line in the third over of the day when the scoreless Azhar Ali, one of the two changes in the Pakistan squad, perished caught behind.

“Countless times the ball has gone past the outside edge. He’s certainly bowled well enough to get a lot more than two wickets”. He played back rather than forward and was comprehensively bowled for 43. The recovery time for such an injury would nearly certainly have ruled him out of December’s tour to South Africa, with the first Test starting on Boxing Day in just six weeks time.

Not only are the numbers poor, but the manner of his dismissal on the second morning was not befitting of a Test opener. “Moeen bats better down the order”.

Bell told Sky Sports 2: “He’s a wonderful player of spin, we saw that today the way he swept and used his feet, and he’s a busy cricketer”.

He said: “Today was [just] about trying to get the job done”.

Pakistan had mixed fortunes in the first session.

“We knew that run-rates wouldn’t be high”.