Nothing In It At Abu Dhabi

The second day of this crucial three match series was another enthralling one, as Pakistan continue to rise above the taints which have for so long kept their cricket in the gutter. The two sides are really scrapping on a pitch that is offering turn. The bowers have been on top so far but quality batting has kept the contest even.

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad needed only 16 deliveries to clean up the last three wickets in the Pakistan first innings. Misbah went first when Broad cut one back enough to trap his pad in front of off stump and despite review, his wonderful captain's knock was ended. Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan both collected ducks against Anderson; Ajmal going across the line and being rapped on the pads and Junaid producing the only catch of the innings when he meekly edged to Swann at second slip.

Cook made 94

Umar Gul and Khan bowled a brief five overs together before spin took over and in Mohammad Hafeez's fifth over of off spin, he again removed Andrew Strauss. Looking uncomfortable against the flighted ball again, he stayed in his crease and was caught in the modern way, inside edging to his pad for Asad Shafiq to take a simple catch at short leg. From here, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott stood firm against an almost all spin attack, from Hafeez, Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, with only the briefest appearances of Gul or Khan. At lunch, England had 48 in twenty four overs. By tea, Cook and Trott were still intact, adding 84 in thirty two overs for the session. Misbah was trying everything but remaining patient and not allowing the Englishmen to get away from him. His spinners kept pressure firmly on even the best of the batting, giving away only twelve fours in 69 overs.

Trott was finally out a few overs before drinks in the last session, his 74 being the best innings he has played since returning from injury. At 1-166, his dismissal to a regulation left armers ball spinning from middle and hitting off was a surprise chink in what had seemed a solid defence.

Ajmal claims Morgan

The last hour proved again why Pakistan are so dangerous and it was their first test destroyer Ajmal who did all the damage. First he had Cook lbw only six runs short of what might have been his 20th Test hundred, out for the fourth time in the nineties. It was again the doosra, turning back to middle from off to the left hander and he didn't bother to challenge a decision he knew would not be reversed. Bell came in and chipped his third ball from Ajmal over cover for four but couldn't score again, having several close calls against the same bowler before stumps. As in Dubai, he had no idea how to pick the doosra. Kevin Pietersen looked good, even comfortable against the spin and was out in the most bizarre way. Looking to clip the ball from off stump with the spin to leg, he inside edged the ball onto his pads, off the keeper's gloves and Hafeez took a well judged catch falling to his left at first slip. Morgan fell in the last over, snicking a lofted off break from Ajmal to Haffeez at slip.

England had lost 4-41 in a little over an hour and Pakistan are now back in the contest.