DUBAI: Pakistan grabbed three wickets including the key scalp of Alastair Cook to sense victory in the second Test against England after Younis Khan smashed his 31st century on Sunday.

Pakistan will need another seven wickets to force a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after Younis’s brilliant 118 helped them set a daunting 491-run target for England.

The first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.

At close England were 130-3 with Joe Root unbeaten on a fighting 59 and with him Jonny Bairstow on six not out as they still need 361 for an unlikely victory or bat out the final day on a weary Dubai International Cricket Stadium pitch on Monday.

It will be a tough task for the England batsmen as the pitch was offering turn with leg-spinner Yasir Shah and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar posing a real threat.

Earlier Pakistan declared 35 minutes after lunch, with Younis scoring his 31st century in 103 Tests, Misbah-ul-Haq 87 and Asad Shafiq making 79.

England were tottering at 45-2 at tea but Ian Bell (46) and Root defied Pakistan bowling during their 102-run stand for the third wicket and looked to take England safely to stumps.

But Zulfiqar broke the partnership when he spun a sharp delivery which Bell tried to leave but gloved it to the slip where Younis took an easy catch.

Pakistan reviewed the not out decision by Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford and were duly rewarded. Bell hit four boundaries during his 121-ball resistance packed knock.

Root edged Yasir through the slips to complete his 16th Test half century, his 12th fifty plus score in 2015 which is a new record for an England batsman beating Keith Fletcher’s 11 in 1973.

He has so far hit five boundaries in his resolute 134-ball knock.

It was Imran Khan who provided Pakistan with an early wicket, forcing an edge of Moeen Ali’s bat to slip where Younis took the catch.

Cook, who scored 65 in the first innings and 263 in the first Test, failed to keep a sweep off Yasir down and was smartly caught at deep square-leg by Wahab Riaz.

Earlier, it was Younis who set the tone for a big target.

Younis punched paceman Stuart Broad to the point boundary for his 11th four to reach three figures off 193 balls, his third hundred against England.

He was finally dismissed as he tried to pace the run-rate, skying a catch off leg-spinner Adil Rashid. He hit 13 boundaries during his 354-minute knock. Pakistan, resuming on 222-3, looked for quick runs.

Misbah had scored a brilliant 102 in Pakistan’s first innings of 378, but failed to add to his overnight 87.

He played an uppish shot to a slower delivery from fast bowler James Anderson which landed in the safe hands of Cook at mid-off.

Misbah hit eight boundaries and five sixes in his enterprising 147-ball innings.

England’s bowlers toiled hard to check the flow of runs as Rashid conceded 107 runs before finally getting a wicket.

Moeen trapped Asad leg-before wicket to finish with 1-60. Asad hit eight boundaries in his 112-ball knock. He added 113 runs for the fifth wicket with Younis.

Misbah declared the innings at the fall of Asad’s wicket.

Anderson with 2-22 and Mark Wood 2-44 were the most successful bowlers.

On Friday’s third day, Wahab and Yasir had scuttled the tourists’ lower order before lunch. It was a truly abject day for England who lost their final seven wickets for 36 runs to be all out for 242, wrecking their chances of becoming the first team to defeat Pakistan in a Test series in the UAE.

That collapse meant England needed to bowl out Pakistan cheaply to stand any chance of a remarkable comeback and Alastair Cook’s men got off to the best possible start.

Opener Shan Masood (one) had been fortunate as a diving Jos Buttler spilled his nick off Stuart Broad, but England’s wicket-keeper made amends, snaffling another edge off Anderson the following over.

The hosts were one for one and Shoaib Malik (seven) lasted little longer, edging a full Wood ball on to his stumps which reduced Pakistan to 16 for two.

But if England were hoping to spark a collapse similar to their own earlier surrender they were left disappointed as Pakistan’s batsmen proved more obdurate.

Cook used seven bowlers in the search for another breakthrough and Mohammad Hafeez (51) eventually fell after edging Wood to Root at slip.

Starting their partnership at 83 for three, Younis and skipper Misbah were sensible, waiting to punish errant deliveries and taking minimal risks.

Younis passed 9,000 Test runs and Pakistan’s record scorer reached his half-century with a four to fine leg. Misbah got to his 31st Test 50 after slogging the hapless Adil Rashid for two sixes in the same over.

England started the day on 183 for three, Root and Bairstow seeking to extend their partnership of 55 against the contrasting threat of Wahab’s scorching pace and Yasir’s canny leg-spin.

After three scoreless overs, England’s batsmen registered 24 runs in the next three and seemed at ease.

But Wahab (4-66) removed Root (88), Ben Stokes (four) and Buttler (0), all caught by wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, as the 30-year-old’s devastating four-over spell yielded three wickets for just one run.

Only Bairstow offered any sustained resistance.

Yasir (4-93) dismissed Rashid (0), caught by Hafeez in the covers, and Bairstow (46) lbw in the same over as England slumped to 223 for eight.

Wood (one) was Yasir’s final victim via Younis at slips and Anderson (four) was last out, looping a catch to Sarfraz off Imran.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN 1st Innings) 378 (Misbah-ul-Haq 102, Asad Shafiq 83, Younis Khan 56, Shan Masood 54; M.A. Wood 3-39, Moeen Ali 3-109).

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 182-3 from Friday):

A.N. Cook c sub b Yasir 65 Moeen Ali c Shan b Wahab 1 I.R. Bell c Sarfraz b Imran 4 J.E. Root c Sarfraz b Wahab 88 J.M. Bairstow lbw b Yasir 46 B.A. Stokes c Sarfraz b Wahab 4 J.C. Butler c Sarfraz b Wahab 0 Adil Rashid c Hafeez b Yasir 0 S.C.J. Broad not out 15 M.A. Wood c Younis b Yasir 1 J.M. Anderson c Sarfraz b Imran 4

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-5, NB-4) 14

TOTAL (all out, 75.2 overs) 242

Fall of wkts: 1-5, 2-14, 3-127, 4-206, 5-212, 6-216, 7-218, 8-223, 9-223.

BOWLING: Imran Khan 13.2-4-33-2; Wahab Riaz 19-5-66-4 (4nb, 5w); Zulfiqar Babar 10-2-35-0; Yasir Shah 29-4-93-4; Shoaib Malik 4-1-10-0.

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight 222-3):

Mohammad Hafeez c Root b Wood 51 Shan Masood c Butler b Anderson 1 Shoaib Malik b Wood 7 Younis Khan c Moeen b Rashid 118 Misbah-ul-Haq c Cook b Anderson 87 Asad Shafiq lbw b Moeen 79 Sarfraz Ahmed not out 3

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-1, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (for six wkts decl, 95 overs) 354

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-16, 3-83, 4-224, 5-337, 6-354.

BOWLING: Anderson 15-7-22-2; Broad 10-1-34-0; Wood 14-3-44-2 (1nb); Moeen Ali 11-0-60-1; Stokes 17-3-54-0; Adil Rashid 25-1-107-1; Root 3-0-26-0.

ENGLAND (2nd Innings):

A.N. Cook c Wahab b Yasir 10 Moeen Ali c Younis b Imran 1 I.R. Bell c Younis b Babar 46 J.E. Root not out 59 J.M. Bairstow not out 6

EXTRAS (B-6, NB-2) 8

TOTAL (for three wkts, 54 overs) 130

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-19, 3-121.

BOWLING (to-date): Imran Khan 6-2-16-1 (1nb); Wahab Riaz 8-1-15-0 (1nb); Yasir Shah 16-5-37-1; Shoaib Malik 6-0-32-0; Zulfiqar Babar 18-7-24-1.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play