Pakistan were pushed back by a spirited counter-attack of Broad giving England a 66-run lead with three wickets remaining by lunch on the third day at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Broad carried the fight to Pakistan from the outset to reach 58 not out from 62 balls.
It was 2010 when Stuart Broad made a century against Pakistan in a Test series, and he stunned here again at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium with his 58 notout
Broad needed great fortune on 33 when he survived a runout decision by TV umpire Billy Bowden. Azhar Ali threw the ball from the cover region, down went the stumps as Broad chanced a single run on a Junaid Khan ball. As he dived for the crease it was debatable whether his bat was touched the ground or not.
England made 116 runs in the first session of the 3-day play at a rate of nearly 4.5 runs an over. Broad made some meekly provocative remarks about his batting colleagues after Pakistan had been bowled out for 257.
He fought like a man on a mission. Ajmal, who had threatened to run through England's lower order, was twice driven to the boundary off the front foot. When Pakistan unwillingly took the new ball at 250 for 6 shortly before drinks, Broad retorted by lofting Umar Gul over Younis Khan at mid-off and then slapped him off a thick edge to third man. It was not long before the spinners returned.
Such was Broad's confidence. He brought up England's 300 by slog-sweeping Abdur Rehman's left-arm spin for six into the knocking area - a sanctuary perhaps for the England batsmen he had previously chided. When he failed to middle another slog-sweep later in the over and it fell short of Asad Shafiq, Rehman railed at the fielder for standing in the wrong place.
The old ball was 84.5 overs old at start of play though Misbah not in a mood to take the new ball continued the task of dismantling England's lower order by his spinners. Matt Prior was intent on playing them off the backfoot whenever possible but Ajmal had his measure.
Ian Bell was also dropped with a grating return catch to Abdur Rehman, which flew through his hands for four, and was also beaten several times by leg-spinner Rehman's sharp turn. Ajmal's “doosras” were less perceptible. But he fell to Gul to an lbw in front of the wicket and the second new ball, England resorting to DRS but failing for the second time that morning.
At Lunch: England 323 / 8 (Broad 58*, Anderson 9*) lead Pakistan 257 by 66
Copyright Business Recorder, 2012