ALASTAIR Cook fell six runs short of a deserved century as England ended day two 50 runs adrift of Pakistan’s first-innings total at 207 for five in the second Test in Abu Dhabi. Cook shared a crucial 139-run second-wicket partnership with Jonathan Trott, who scored 74, as England assumed a strong position after having bowled Pakistan out for 257 early in the morning session.
But a late rally from the hosts which saw England fall from 166 for one to 207 for five at stumps with spinner Saeed Ajmal taking three wickets left the match very finely poised ahead of the third day at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
At the start of the day, England raced through the final three Pakistan wickets as the hosts could only muster a solitary single to add to their overnight total, losing three wickets in 16 balls.
The morning session started brightly for England as Pakistan resumed on 256 for seven, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq unbeaten on 83.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson ripped into the Pakistan tail and claimed the last three wickets in seven balls. Misbah added only a single to his overnight score before falling lbw for 84 to Broad, the Nottinghamshire all-rounder’s fourth scalp of the innings.
Anderson then dismissed Ajmal for no score with a full delivery which angled towards middle and leg stump and trapped the batsmen lbw after he had played and missed. Three balls later, England claimed their first catch of the innings to wrap up the Pakistan tail, Junaid Khan edging a short ball from Anderson to Graeme Swann at second slip.
In reply, England captain Andrew Strauss’s wretched run of form continued as he fell to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 11, pushing a thick inside edge on to his pad that looped up for Asad Shafiq to take an easy catch at short-leg. Strauss has reached 50 only once in his last 13 inning.
Cook survived a scare on 27 in the last over of the morning when a sharp bat-pad chance just evaded short-leg off Hafeez, and Trott would have gone lbw on DRS for just 22 had Pakistan reviewed Steve Davis’ not-out decision.
The sparse crowd grew as the day wore on, Pakistan fans in their traditional shalwar kameez white trousers and knee-length shirt lolling on the grass banks that divide Sheikh Zayed’s two stands. Most were low-paid security guards, labourers or drivers enjoying free entry and a special day off outside their usual 70-hour working week.
But their team gave them little cheer in the afternoon session as Pakistan wasted their two permitted reviews on lbw decisions against Trott that were outside the line.
Eventually Trott departed after tea for 74 as slow left-armer Abdur Rehman got an arm ball to zip on and breach the number three’s defences, and suddenly Pakistan were back in the contest.
With 32 further runs on the board, Cook fell agonisingly short of his century as Ajmal trapped him in front of his stumps and he was dismissed lbw. The Essex opener remains one short of his mentor Graham Gooch’s tally of centuries and still joint-sixth on the all-time England list.
After the loss of the established duo, England proceeded to suffer a mini-implosion in the final session with the out-of-form Kevin Pietersen the next to go for just 14.
Pietersen attempted to play at a delivery around his off stump from Ajmal which took the edge of his bat as it reared up and the ball ballooned up to Mohammad Hafeez at slip.
Pakistan were suddenly reinvigorated, and Eion Morgan failed to steer his side to stumps without further loss alongside Ian Bell as the ever-potent Ajmal claimed his third wicket.
Morgan was lured into playing at a well-disguised doosra, and Hafeez snaffled another sharp catch at slip to send the England batsman on his way in what proved to be the final delivery of the day.
Pakistan, who lead 1-0 in the three-Test series, will be hoping to carry their late momentum into day three with England desperate to erode their remaining first-innings arrears before targeting a midway lead.

SCORECARD
PAKISTAN 1stt innings (o/night) 256 for 7
M. Hafeez b Panesar 31
T. Umar b Swann 16
A. Ali b Broad 24
Y. Khan b Broad 24
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw Broad 84
A. Shafiq lbw Swann 58
A. Akmal lbw Broad 9
A. Rehman b Swann 0
S. Ajmal lbw Anderson 0
U. Gul not out 0
J. Khan c Swann b Anderson 0
Extras: (b-8, lb-1, nb-2) 11
Total: (all out, off 96.4 overs) 257
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-61, 3-98, 4-103, 5-203, 6-216, 7-243, 8-257, 9-257.
Bowling:  Anderson 19.4-5-46-2 (nb-1), Broad 24-4-47-4 (nb-1), Panesar 33-9-91-1, Swann 18-2-52-3, Trott 2-0-12-0.

ENGLAND 1st innings
A. Strauss c Shafiq b Hafeez 11
A. Cook lbw Ajmal 94
I. Trott b Abdur Rehman 74
K. Pietersen c Hafeez b Ajmal 14
I. Bell not out 4
E. Morgan c Hafeez b Ajmal 3
Extras: (b-4, lb-2, nb-1) 7
Total: (for 5 wickets off 84.5 overs) 207
Fall of wickets 1-27, 2-166, 3-198, 4-203, 5-207.
Bowling:  Gul 10-1-35-0, Junaid Khan 6-0-20-0, Hafeez 19-4-40-1, Ajmal 29.5-5-67-3 (nb-1), Rehman 20-7-39-1.