England end the day at 253/7, 86 runs behind Pakistan's total of 339.

By Abdullah Ansari (15th July, 2016)

Toss: Pakistan won the toss, Misbah-ul-Haq chose to bat first.

Teams

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali.

England: AN Cook (c), AD Hales, JE Root, JM Vince, GS Ballance, JM Bairstow (wk), MM Ali, CR Woakes, SCJ Broad, JT Ball, ST Finn.

Pakistan started off the day at 282/6 with Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed. Sarfraz got going in his usual manner, maneuvering the ball well and getting a few boundaries away. However, he perished soon after making 25, cutting a short and wide delivery straight to point, giving Chris Woakes a five-wicket haul. Wahab Riaz was cleaned up two balls later. Misbah-ul-Haq was bowled by Broad soon after, having struggled to get going in the morning. Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah had a small partnership before the former got out to Broad; Pakistan finishing at 339 all out.

England got off to a jittery start with Alex Hales edging to slip soon off Rahat Ali. However, Cook and Root had a solid partnership with Pakistan's pacers struggling with their line and lengths. Both scored at a good rate, putting Pakistan under pressure as the partnership crossed 100. It didn't help Pakistan that Mohammad Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed put Cook down off a frustrated Mohammad Amir. However, Joe Root went for an uncharacteristic hoick against Yasir Shah, getting caught and that opened the flood-gates for the leggie.

James Vince played a few shots but was soon LBW to Yasir. He reviewed, but to no avail. Gary Ballance was next, falling to the leggie, LBW once again. A small partnership developed between Cook and Bairstow before the former played on, Mohammad Amir finally getting him after he made 81. A few overs later, Bairstow tried to cut a straight ball from Yasir and was bowled. There was another decent partnership between all-rounders Woakes and Moeen, until the latter became Yasir's 5th victim, once again LBW, showing Yasir's incredible accuracy. Yasir Shah, in the process, became the first leggie since Mushtaq Ahmed in 1996 to take a 5-fer at Lord's. Broad and Woakes played out the rest of the overs, with a late, unsuccessful review by Pakistan. England 253/7, 86 runs behind at Stumps.

Summary: Pakistan will be very pleased with their day. England would have been happy to end the Pakistan innings at 339, and at 118/1 with Cook and Root going strong, the home side were in the ascendancy. However, Root's dismissal opened the floodgates for the incredibly accurate leg-spinner to run through the inexperienced middle-order. There were a few partnerships in the middle, but Yasir's constant strikes ensured England were never comfortable. With England 86 runs behind, along with having to face the leggie in the 4th innings, Pakistan would feel fairly confident of their chances in this Test match.

Fall of wickets:

7-310 (Sarfraz Ahmed, 94.4 ov)
8-310 (Wahab Riaz, 94.6 ov)
9-316 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 95.5 ov)
10-339 (Mohammad Amir, 99.2 ov)

1-8 (Hales, 1.6 ov)
2-118 (Root, 28.3 ov)
3-139 (Vince, 34.5 ov)
4-147 (Ballance, 36.6 ov)
5-173 (Cook, 45.2 ov)
6-193 (Bairstow, 50.1 ov)
7-232 (Ali, 61.2 ov)

Discuss!