Pakistan vs. England, 2nd Test, Day 1: Captain Misbah-Ul-Haq Dazzles in Dubai
Captain Misbah-ul-Haq made an unbeaten 102 to help Pakistan reach 282 for four by the end of Day 1 of the second Test against England.
Misbah recorded his eighth Test ton, albeit his first against England, in dramatic fashion, hitting 15 runs from the final over at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Shan Masood and Younis Khan made 54 and 56 respectively, while Asad Shafiq reached stumps on 46 not out.
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Pakistan's score is remarkably close to their efforts in the first Testโin Abu Dhabi, they finished Day 1 on 286 for four. England paid the price for missed chances at the start of the series opener, but they didn't really do a lot wrong on Wednesday in Dubai.
Their spinners again found it tough to keep control of the scoring rate, with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid combining for figures of one for 142 from 33 overs.
Moeen did dismiss Mohammad Hafeez prior to lunch, with the other wickets being shared between the seam trio of James Anderson, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood.
Here, Bleacher Report breaks down the major talking points from the action.
Captain's Knock
At 89 for three at the start of the afternoon session, England were knocking on the door.
However, they found two familiar faces barring them from getting any further into Pakistan's batting order, as Younis and Misbah combined to put on a fourth-wicket partnership worth 93.
The pair looked to be booked in for plenty more until Younis was strangled down the leg side by Wood straight after tea.
Misbah, though, carried on right through to the close. The 41-year-old had his issues dealing with the short ball, including taking a blow on the back of the helmet, but he was quick to attack England's two slow bowlers.
He reached three figures in a remarkable final over. Having previously dropped anchor, Misbah suddenly jumped into attack mode. He hit two sixes before a reverse sweep for two took him to his century.
On Day 5 of the first Test, an unnecessary wish to launch Moeen's off-spin into orbit resulted in Misbah being bowled.
His departure triggered a collapse, as Pakistan's score went from 159 for five to 173 all out. England were left chasing 99, and it was only bad light that prevented them from reaching their target.
Misbah would have had some tough questions to answer had a similarly aggressive approach caused his downfall late on Day 1. Instead, though, his positivity got him through to his landmark in fading light.
Moving On Up
Anderson moved to 418 Test wickets with the dismissal of Masood straight after lunch.
The Lancastrianโs latest victim moved him beyond India spinner Harbhajan Singh into ninth place on the all-time wicket-taking list.
Next in his sights is Shaun Pollock (421), while Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Kapil Dev (434) are not too far away.
Courtney Walshโs total of 519 could be the long-term target, meaning Andersonโwho is still going strong at the age of 33โcould end his Test career in the top five.
England wonโt fully appreciate what theyโve had with Anderson until he has gone.
His wicket tally could be even higher, too, had he not endured a period in the international doldrums.
From the start of 2004 to the end of 2007, the seamer appeared in just 12 Tests. He picked up 19 wickets during that period. To put those figures into context, he's taken 38 scalps in 10 appearances so far this year.
Mixed Reviewย
It would be wrong to just overlook Masoodโs decision to review his dismissal.
Having made 54 in the morning session, the left-handed opener was caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off a thin edge to the first ball after the lunch break.
Following a short discussion with batting partner Younis Khan, Masood gave the "T" signal with his hands to ask for the third umpire to check if he had actually hit the ball.
Surely, though, he knew if it had clipped the bat or not?
As pointed out by ESPN Cricinfo editor-in-chief Sambit Bal on Twitter, the DRS system is not there to provide players with the chance to get a lucky break.
Pitch Perspective
You could forgive the England bowlers for cursing their captain after he lost the toss...again.
Alastair Cookโs inability to guess correctly at the start of the morning condemned the tourists to a long day in the field.
According to several English journalists covering the series, Cook's opposite number, Misbah, almost seemed to be wearing a guilty look after confirming Pakistan would bat first:
Englandโs six-man attack toiled for nearly two whole days in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, and they must have feared history was to be repeated.
However, the difference in Dubai is the pitch is quicker. It is not fast by any means, but it has enough carry to allow the pacemen to get deliveries up above waist height.
The extra bounceโcoupled with the baking sun drying out the surfaceโwill help the spinners as the game wears on, and that is the worry for England.
They will, more than likely, have to bat last in the match, but this time, Pakistanโs lineup includes leg-spinner Yasir Shah. To make their task easier, Cook's bowlers need to strike early and often on Day 2.
What next in this Test?
Pakistan made 523 for eight declared in their first innings in the opening Testโa similar score here would put England under serious pressure again.
The visitors fought back with Cook's double century last time out, but they cannot just rely on their captain to dig them out of trouble.
The pitch, plus the presence of Yasir, suggests a positive outcome at the end of the match. Pakistan are the favourites right now, but the same could be said after Day 1 in Abu Dhabi, and look what happened there.
All statistics used in the article were from ESPN Cricinfo
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