LEEDS (DNA): Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was left pondering his decision to bat first after a collapse handed England the advantage on the first day of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.
England were 106 for two at stumps, just 68 runs behind Pakistan s lowly first-innings 174 all out that saw the veteran England new-ball duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson share six wickets.
Joe Root, the England captain, was 29 not out on his Yorkshire home ground, with nightwatchman Dominic Bess unbeaten on nought. The one sadness for England was that Alastair Cook, their all-time leading Test run-scorer, fell shortly before stumps for 46.
Earlier, teenager Shadab Khan s third fifty in successive Tests helped salvage Pakistan s innings. But the tourists top order struggled as Broad and Anderson, not at their best in Pakistan s nine-wicket win in the first Test of a two-match series at Lord s, produced a succession of challenging deliveries.
Broad made the early strikes on his way to three for 38 in 15 overs, with Anderson taking three for 43. Meanwhile all-rounder Chris Woakes, one of a trio of changes, took three for 55. “I don t think any of us expected it to nip or swing like it did,” Broad told Sky Sports.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan led a chorus of criticism following the first Test, with Broad and Anderson — who have more than 900 Test wickets between them — coming under fire for bowling too short.”I understand the criticism of me from the first Test,” said Broad.
“A lot of it is justified, some of it is not. I didn t feel some of the flack that was coming my way was overly logical. “There was an angle of promoting one s own shows and own columns in that criticism but that s the way of the world. I know within myself I m bowling well.”
Pakistan arrived in Leeds knowing that if they avoided defeat they would be able to celebrate their first Test series win in England for 22 years. Sarfraz s decision to bat was an especially bold move given England made just 184 in their first innings at Lord s.
And it quickly came under the microscope as Pakistan saw all their top four dismissed before lunch.
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