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England captain Joe Root was 29 not out on his Yorkshire home ground and Bess yet to score, after coming in late Friday following the fall of opener Alastair Cook for a well-made 46. The overcast conditions -- the floodlights were switched on to guard against bad light -- promised to assist Pakistan's bowlers.
But with England desperate to avoid a third straight Test series loss after reverses in Australia and New Zealand, Bess rose to the challenge again. The Somerset off-spinner may have still to take his first Test wicket but this innings followed the 20-year-old Bess's commendable 57 on Test debut during Pakistan's dominant nine-wicket victory at Lord's.
Bess cover-drove left-arm quick Mohammad Amir for four, one of several boundaries worthy of a top-order batsman. But there was fresh frustration for Root, however. Having often been criticised for failing to convert his Test fifties into hundreds, Root fell for 45 on Saturday when, chasing a scrambled seam delivery from Amir angled across him, he succeeded only in getting a thin edge to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain.
But when Bess swept leg-spinner Shadab Khan, England had the lead. England saw their tea score of 199 for three quickly transformed into 212 for five as they lost both Dawid Malan (28) and Bess, who shared a fourth-wicket stand of 62. Amir struck with his first delivery after tea when a ball of extra bounce took the shoulder of Malan's bat and looped gently to Haris Sohail at first slip.
Bess was on the brink of another Test half-century when, trying to dab a quicker ball from teenager Shadab, he was well caught by Asad Shafiq at slip to end a 95-ball innings that included seven fours. England should really have been 220 for six when Buttler, who had made just four, stabbed at Shadab only for the ball to burst through Hasan Ali's hands at midwicket.
Not long afterwards, Buttler was hit flush on the helmet by a Hasan bouncer after missing an intended pull shot. But he hit the next ball for four. Jonny Bairstow too might have fallen in single figures when he was lbw playing no shot to medium-pacer Faheem Ashraf for eight only to be spared on review by height. Ashraf did dismiss the Yorkshireman for 21, however, when Bairstow edged to Sarfraz shortly before the new ball became available.
But the last over of the day saw England finish with a flourish as Curran pulled and drove two fours in as many balls off Hasan. England were in sight of a new record at the close. No batsman has yet made a fifty this innings. England's highest Test total without an individual half-century is their 315 against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1986.
Commentary (Pakistan innings)
7.6 Broad to Imam, No run. 37/2
7.6 S Broad to Imam, FOUR. 37/2
7.5 S Broad to Imam, No run. 32/2
7.4 Broad to Imam, No run. 32/2
7.3 S Broad to Imam, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 32/2
7.2 S Broad to Imam, Pitched up ball from Broad, Imam drives this through covers and will get two runs for it. 32/2
7.1 S Broad to Imam, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. 30/2
Asad Shafiq is the new man in.
6.6 J Anderson to Sohail, OUT! Bess takes a beauty to send Sohail for an early shower! He has done it with the bat, now in the field. Only thing left for him is to get wickets. Anderson runs in from over the wicket and bowls it full outside off, Sohail is early in his drive and ends up chipping one towards mid off. Dominic there takes a couple of steps to his leg and dives to grab it with his weaker arm. The ball sticks and Haris stands there in disbelief. Anderson gets his second and Pakistan still trail by 159 runs. 30/2
6.5 J Anderson to Sohail, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. 30/1
6.4 J Anderson to Sohail, FOUR! Easy runs for Pakistan. Anderson misses his line, angles it down leg and Sohail helps it on its way towards fine leg for a boundary. 30/1
6.3 J Anderson to Sohail, No need to play at these. It is Anderson, you need to see off the new ball. Sohail goes fishing outside his off stump and gets beaten. 26/1
6.2 J Anderson to Sohail, Outside off, HS chooses to leave it alone. 26/1
6.1 J Anderson to Sohail, Fuller from Anderson, Haris hits it for the mid off fielder to collect. 26/1
There seems to be some problem at the bowling crease. Two ground staff run out, put some mud on it and do the leveling job real quick. Anderson has a look and is happy with it.
5.6 S Broad to Imam, Strays this down leg, Imam looks to work it to the leg side but misses the ball. 26/1
5.5 S Broad to H Sohail, Pitched up from Broad on off, Sohail gets behind the ball and drives it through mid off. The ball won't go all the way as the 35 year old, Anderson hares after it. Parries it to the 20-year old Curran who gives it back to the bowler. The batsmen take three. 26/1
5.4 S Broad to Sohail, Similar line from Broad, Sohail covers his stumps and leaves it alone. 23/1
5.3 S Broad to Sohail, Full this time outside off, good leave from Haris. 23/1
5.2 S Broad to Sohail, Beauty! Really good from Broad. Making the ball talk. Hurls this on the fourth stump channel, Sohail feels for it but gets beaten. 23/1
5.1 S Broad to Sohail, Length ball on middle and leg, Sohail stays back and hits it to short mid-wicket 23/1
4.6 J Anderson to Imam, On the pads again, worked away through square leg for a couple. End of a successful over from Jimmy. 23/1
4.5 J Anderson to Imam, Fuller on off, defended solidly. 21/1
Ian Botham analyses the slip cordon. He compares England's cordon to that of New Zealand. He observed that the Kiwis cover more space with the same amount of fielders than England do. The reason is that the slip fielders stand very close to each other while the Kiwis stand a bit further apart. Fair point.
4.4 J Anderson to Sohail, On a length around middle and leg, Sohail clips it off the inner half through square leg for one. 21/1
Haris Sohail is the next man in.
4.3 Anderson to A Ali, OUT! Knocked him over! What a delivery from the premier swing bowler from England. Anderson bowls it full on off and middle and gets it to move in a touch. Ali looks to play the drive sans any feet movement. Misses the ball completely to find his woodwork shattered. Jimmy is ecstatic and leaps to make it known. He was criticized in the first innings for not being full enough and not attacking the stumps. Here he has done both and that has borne fruit. Yet again Pakistan's opening pair fails to impress. 20/1
4.2 J Anderson to Ali, Huge appeal for a caught behind, turned down! Angled in from outside off, Azhar looks to defend with his bat close to his front pad. The ball goes off his pads and Bairstow takes it low to his right. Then England appeal vociferously for a caught behind but the umpire stays unmoved. Root ponders about DRS but decides not to take it, after having a long chat. Good call in the end as the Snicko didn't detect any spike when the ball passed the blade. It went only off the pad. 20/0
4.1 J Anderson to Ali, Outside off, left alone. 20/0
3.6 S Broad to Imam, Full outside off, Imam leaves it alone. 20/0
3.5 S Broad to Imam, Down the leg side this time, Imam goes for the flick but cannot make any contact. 20/0
3.4 S Broad to Imam, FOUR! Confidence booster for Imam. Overpitched ball from Broad outside off, Imam waits for it and drives it crisply through mid off for a boundary. 20/0
3.3 S Broad to Imam, Imam ul Haq lets the ball go outside his off stump. 16/0
3.2 S Broad to Imam, The ball is too wide on the off side for Imam to make any contact. 16/0
3.1 S Broad to Imam, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. 16/0
2.6 J Anderson to Ali, Huge appeal from England but nothing from the umpire. Anderson comes in from over the wicket and serves one on a good length outside off. The ball jags back and Ali shoulders his arms to it only to see the ball going to hit his pad. A long appeal but the umpire stays put. Root has a chat but opts against the DRS. 16/0
2.5 J Anderson to Ali, Full again on leg, Ali flicks it in the gap towards deep square leg for a brace. Some quick runs for the visitors. 16/0
2.4 J Anderson to Ali, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. 14/0
2.3 J Anderson to Ali, Length ball outside off, Ali goes for it but does not make contact. 14/0
2.2 J Anderson to Ali, Ali chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 14/0
2.1 J Anderson to Ali, FOUR! Ali is looking good. Pitched up ball on off, Ali stands tall and punches it down the ground. Anderson tries to stop it on his followthrough but cannot get his hand to it. The mid off fielder chases it but comes second best. 14/0
1.6 S Broad to Imam, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. 10/0
1.5 S Broad to Imam, Fuller ball outside off, no need to play at that but Imam still goes for the booming drive. Misses the ball, that wasn't too far from the outside edge. 10/0
1.4 S Broad to Imam, Driven towards the mid on region. 10/0
1.3 S Broad to Imam, You beauty! Similar ball from Broad and he is due to get one edged now. Serves another one on a good length around off, Imam looks to block it but misses it completely. 10/0
1.2 S Broad to Imam, Jaffa! Peach of a delivery from Imam. Hurls it on middle and off, Imam has to play at it and the ball almost takes his outside edge. 10/0
1.1 S Broad to Imam, Comes in from over the wicket and bowls it outside off, Imam shoulders his arms. 10/0
Stuart Broad, as he does, will share the new ball along with his vintage partner, James Anderson.
0.6 J Anderson to Ali, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. 10/0
0.5 J Anderson to A Ali, Guides this one to the gully fielder. 10/0
0.4 J Anderson to Ali, Four Leg Byes. Anderson angles this into Ali. Azhar looks to flick it away but it hits his thigh pad and runs away to the fine leg fence. 10/0
0.3 J Anderson to Imam, Slants this on leg, Imam fails to get bat on this attempted flick. It goes off his pads and a leg bye is taken. 6/0
0.2 J Anderson to Ali, Taps this to cover-point and sets off for the run. The fielder there has a shy at the stumps at the striker's end but misses. Imam was in though. Good intent shown from the Pakistan batsmen. 5/0
0.1 J Anderson to Ali, FOUR! WOW! Perfect from Azhar Ali. No need for sighters, no need to check whether the ball is swinging. Nothing. Anderson pitches it up around off, Ali uses his feet, gets forward and creams it through covers for a boundary. This will give him a lot of confidence. 4/0
First Published: June 3, 2018, 3:23 PM IST
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