Pakistan vs England: Pakistan take control, England look to Joe Root to save second Test

All that England can do now is hang on in there. The second Test is purely an exercise in damage limitation. Saving it to live to fight another day was the extent of their ambition last night and that looked a fanciful notion.

The team management was also moved to deny that the captain, Alastair Cook, was injured although he hobbled through his innings like a man in urgent need of a zimmer frame. Either it is wishful thinking or an attempt to conceal the truth of it from the opposition, in the hope that Cook recovers quickly.

After being left the nominal target of 491 to defeat Pakistan, 73 runs more than has ever been made to win a Test, the tourists reached 130 for 3 at stumps. A poor start, which appeared to threaten a swift denouement, was all too briefly repaired by the third-wicket pair of Ian Bell and Joe Root, the one needing runs to prolong his international career into its 13th year, the other merely continuing to mine a rich seam of form that shows no sign yet of depleting.

But after they had put on 102 in 35 overs, Bell’s thitherto adroit resistance was ended. If he was a touch unfortunate to glove a ball from Zulfiqar Babar which he was trying to leave, he will be acutely aware that this could soon also apply to his place in the team. Nor is he alone. Too few of England’s batsmen are scoring enough runs.

The fifth day of this match was offering a golden opportunity for atonement. Apart from anything else, they owe it to Root who assembled, with measured assurance, his 18th score above fifty in 33 innings. He has become invaluable. It was his dismissal on Saturday – admittedly, an error of judgement – that provoked the unseemly rush for the exit from his colleagues who followed.

England are left needing 361 from 90 overs on the last day but that is purely nominal. The ball was turning out of the footmarks for the leg-spin of Yasir Shah and England were well aware that there was always the chance of another potent spell from Wahab Riaz, who is riding the crest of his own wave.

Although the pitch has held up remarkably well, there is bound to be wear and tear after four days of play. That is as it should be. The course of the match, and perhaps the series changed on its third morning when Pakistan were inspired and England plumbed depths of inadequacy in resisting them. Instead of taking a lead, as they had fondly imagined, they found themselves with a huge first-innings deficit of 136.

It would be romantic to think that England on Sunday were inspired by the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, one of England’s greatest victories against the odds. At the team huddle in the morning the captain, Cook, could have done worse, considering the wretchedness of the previous day than intone: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

Brothers or not, England may have to consider a reshuffle of their bowmen for the third Test in Sharjah. It is patently obvious that the calculated hunch to promote Moeen Ali to open the innings has not worked, that Jos Buttler is so badly out of sorts with his batting that it is affecting his wicketkeeping and that Adil Rashid is beginning to look meat and drink to all the opposition batsmen but those in the (very) late order.

The additional worry that the mystery injury suffered by Cook – albeit being played down by the management – may cause him to miss the final match, multiplies their concerns. It would necessitate change and would also keep Moeen at the top of the order.

Whatever happens, the case for continuing to exclude James Taylor should now be repudiated. He deserves his turn, otherwise there was no point in picking him for this tour.

England had a much needed wicket at the start of the day when Misbah-ul-Haq, 13 runs short of his second hundred of the match, drove Jimmy Anderson to Cook at mid-off. But that was as good as it got, for the 37-year-old Younis Khan went on to score his 31st Test century and Asad Shafiq was a handsome partner in a stand of 113.

The lead, already daunting, was beginning to mock England. There was not much wrong with their seam bowling, with Anderson exemplary and Mark Wood fearsome at times. Rashid continues to perplex but he troubled no one.

Not long into the afternoon, Misbah declared. It was evident that Cook was struggling to run, which must have cast a pall over the away dressing room. But it was Moeen who was almost inevitably the first man out, launching a drive away from his body as if he assumed that the chase was definitely on. He was safely snaffled at second slip by Younis.

Before long Cook top-edged a sweep to a ball from the leg-spinning Yasir Shah that bounced awkwardly from the rough, though frankly he looked in such discomfort that he never appeared likely to endure long – he was called through for one quick single by Bell and took an age to get the limbs moving.

Bell, looking in top condition with feet and bat moving as one, and Root were as solid and correct as could be desired. However, when Bell misjudged the bounce of a Zulfiqar delivery as he tried vainly to withdraw his bat, the umpire gave him the benefit of the doubt. Pakistan reviewed and there was no question that the ball glanced the glove.

The 10 remaining overs were negotiated comfortably enough by Jonny Bairstow and Root – but there are still 90 to go.