A HUNDRED from Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq seized the initiative after England threatened to take control of the second Test on day one in Dubai.Misbah, 41, hit two sixes off Moeen Ali’s final over of the day to reach 102 and take Pakistan to 282-4.
A disciplined bowling performance had earlier seen Pakistan reduced to 178-4.
James Anderson, Moeen, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes took a wicket each, while Shan Masood (54) and Younus Khan (56) made half-centuries.
England can be pleased with their effort on a surface that holds few problems for batsmen, but one that has offered more encouragement for the pace bowlers than the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi.
And even if Pakistan threatened to waste the advantage of batting first, Misbah put them in the stronger position, especially with fit-again leg-spinner Yasir Shah likely to bowl last on a wicket that is set to turn.
Misbah averages more than 57 with the bat as Pakistan captain, but may have felt in debt to his side, after a rash stroke in the first Test sparked a collapse that set up England’s unlikely push for victory.
He initially looked uncomfortable against England’s pace bowlers and was hit on the head by a Wood bouncer, as well as edging Stokes just short of the slips.
But he swept the spin of Moeen and Adil Rashid with aplomb as well as hitting the inconsistent Rashid for three straight sixes.
Beginning the final over of the day on 87, he twice hit Moeen over the leg-side rope to move to 99, with a reverse sweep making him the oldest Test centurion since Australian Bobby Simpson in 1978.

THE STATS:
Misbah-ul-Haq has now won the toss in each of Pakistan’s past five Tests
With 60 sixes, he has equalled the record for the most by a Pakistan Test batsman, level with Younus Khan.
England’s XI included nine players who have taken a Test wicket – only Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler do not have one.
James Anderson took his 418th Test wicket to go above Harbhajan Singh to ninth in the all-time list.