Pak vs Eng 1st Test: Shoaib Malik hits century, Pakistan in driver seat

Abu Dhabi: Shoaib Malik hit a fighting hundred to cap an impressive return to Test cricket after five years as he led Pakistan’s charge in the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Malik was unbeaten on 124 for his third Test hundred — his first against England — to guide Pakistan to 286-4 at close on the opening day at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Malik added an invaluable 168 for the second wicket with opener Mohammad Hafeez who missed his century by two runs after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat on a flat pitch which is expected to take turn on the last two days.

Malik, who has been averaging 100 in one-day cricket this year — form which earned him a recall in the longer format — has so far hit 14 boundaries in his 230-ball patient knock.

Apart from Malik and Hafeez, the day was also memorable for senior batsman Younis Khan (38) who became Pakistan’s leading run scorer in Test cricket when he overhauled Javed Miandad’s tally of 8832 runs made in 124 Tests.

Pakistan (1st innings): Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Stokes 98, Shan Masood b Anderson 2, Shoaib Malik (batting) 124, Younis Khan c Cook b Broad 38, Misbah-ul-Haq c Butler b Anderson 3, Asad Shafiq (batting) 11. Extras (b4, lb5, nb1) 10. Total (four wkts in 87 overs) 286.

FoW: 1-5, 2-173, 3-247, 4-251.

Bowling: Anderson 14-3-29-2, Broad 14-5-30-1, Stokes 10-1-35-1, Wood 13-3-34-0, Rashid 17-0-76-0, Ali 19-2-73-0.