–Azhar, Haris repel England new ball attack
LONDON: Pakistan dominated the first two sessions against England in the Test being played at Lord’s on Thursday as fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Muhammad Abbas’ four-for restricted England on 184 runs.
Muhammad Aamir and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf took one wicket each.
Later on, Imam-ul-Haq fell cheaply but Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail repelled England new ball attack and held a 38-run stand.
The team had struck early with pacer Mohammad Abbas picking up the wicket of Mark Stoneman.
Hasan Ali picked up the second wicket of the innings when he dismissed Joe Root. The third wicket also fell to Hasan Ali when David Malan was caught behind for six runs.
Faheem Ashraf removed Jonny Bairstow for 27, and just as Alastair Cook looked settled Mohammad Amir bowled him for 70.
The England opener led a fightback on the first day. At tea England were 165 for five, having slumped to 43 for three before lunch after home captain Joe Root had won the toss and batted.
Cook, in his 153rd consecutive Test, which equalled Australia great Allan Border´s all-time record for successive appearances at this level, revived England with a fine 70.
But shortly before tea he was bowled by Amir, a team-mate when Essex won the County Championship last season, as the left-arm quick produced a brilliant delivery that cut away late off the pitch late to clip the top of the opener´s off stump.
Ben Stokes was unbeaten on 36, having hoisted leg-spinner Shadab Khan for the first six of this match. Jos Buttler, recalled as a specialist number seven, was unbeaten on 13.
Root opted to bat first in the opening match of this two-Test series, despite the overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch offering the promise of assistance for Pakistan´s pacemen.
Both England and Pakistan´s have concerns over their batting so it was a particularly bold decision by Root.
Root, promoted up the order to number three, also fell for four when he drove at a wide ball from Hasan and edged behind to opposing captain Sarfraz Ahmed.
Cook got into gear with a cover-driven four off Amir, but he could only watch as fellow left-hander Dawid Malan (six) became Hasan´s second wicket of the morning, with wicket-keeper Sarfraz again making no mistake with the catch.
Just before Malan´s dismissal, Faheem Ashraf rapped the pad of Cook, then on 23, with ´umpire´s call´ going against Pakistan after they reviewed former Australia seam bowler Paul Reiffel´s original decision of not out.
England were 72 for three at lunch, with Cook 46 not out and Jonny Bairstow, batting up the order at number five, unbeaten on 10.
Cook, England´s all-time leading Test run-scorer, went to fifty with a four to third man off Amir before Bairstow was bowled by Ashraf for 27.
Buttler, having been encouraged to play the attacking game that makes him such a dangerous white-ball batsman, was quickly into his stride with two fours in three balls off Shadab — a whip through midwicket followed by a cover-driven boundary.
England gave a debut to 20-year-old Somerset off-spinner Dominic Bess and included fast bowler Mark Wood in their XI, with pace bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes missing out after being selected in a 12-man squad.
Pakistan made one change to the side that beat Test debutants Ireland by five wickets in Dublin last week, with Hasan Ali replacing left-arm paceman Rahat Ali for the first of this two-Test series.