Summary Pakistan grabbed two early wickets to hit England hard in their chase of a 284-run target.
SHARJAH (Dunya News/AFP) – England on Thursday have resumed the game on fifth day in third Pakistan Test at Sharjah International Cricket Stadium.
The innings was resumed at 46-2.
Earlier, Pakistan grabbed two early wickets to hit England hard in their chase of a 284-run target as the third and final Test heads for an intriguing finish.
England were 46-2 with Alastair Cook (17) and Joe Root (six) fighting hard against Pakistan s spinners, led by Shoaib Malik who claimed both the wickets on a weary Sharjah stadium pitch.
England will need another 238 runs on the fifth and final day on Thursday for a series-levelling win while Pakistan will fancy a 2-0 victory.
Pakistan won the second Test by 178 runs in Dubai while the first ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.
It was Malik, due to quit Test cricket after this match, who provided Pakistan s early breakthroughs, trapping Moeen Ali (22) leg-before and then bowling Ian Bell (nought) in successive overs.
Cook and Root survived confident leg-before appeals off Zulfiqar Babar in the dying moments, much to the relief of the England camp.
England s best chase in all Test cricket is the 332 they made against Australia at Melboure in 1928 while they have not reached more than a 209-run target in Asia, achieved against Bangladesh at Dhaka five years ago.
England could have dismissed Pakistan for less than 355 in their second innings and subsequently chasing an easier target had they not dropped two crucial catches, of Hafeez on 113 and Asad Shafiq, who made 46, on 29.
