(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) England were 253 for seven in reply to Pakistan's first innings 339, a deficit of 86 runs, at the close of the second day of the first Test at Lord's on Friday.
Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, in his first Test since serving a three-month drugs ban - and first outside of Asia and the UAE - took five for 64 to get himself on the Lord's honours board. It was the first time any leg-spinner had taken five or more wickets in a Test innings at Lord's since his compatriot Mushtaq Ahmed, now on Pakistan's coaching staff, returned second-innings figures of five for 57 against England in 1996. Chris Woakes who'd earlier taken a Test-best six for 70, was 31 not out and Stuart Broad 11 not out at Friday's close. England captain Alastair Cook made 81 and in the process surpassed India great Sunil Gavaskar as the highest run-scoring opening batsman in Test history. This is the first of a four-Test series. Meanwhile at tea, England were 153 for four. Cook was 75 not out. Jonny Bairstow was unbeaten on one after leg-spinner Shah accounted for Joe Root (48), James Vince (16) and the recalled Gary Ballance (six). Amir, making his return to Test cricket at Lord's - the scene of his 2010 spot-fixing crime which saw him given a five-year ban from cricket and a jail term for deliberately bowling no balls as part of a betting scam, opened the attack. What made the fact it was Cook who was twice reprived off his bowling all the more poignant, was that the England skipper had said that if it was down to him, all fixers, including Amir, would be banned for life. Left-arm quick Amir, who served a five-year ban and was given a jail sentence for his part in the spot-fixing row, should first have had Cook out for 22. Cook was drawn forward by an excellent delivery only for first slip Mohammad Hafeez to drop a routine catch. It was a similar story when Cook, now on 55, again edged Amir but wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, going slightly to his left, floored the two-handed chance. It was a miss that revived memories of former Pakistan gloveman Kamran Akmal's worst blunders. Amir screamed in frustration before sharing a wry smile with captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who gave the 24-year-old paceman a consoling pat on the back. After the early loss of opener Alex Hales, Cook and new number three Root shared a stand of 110. Cook, belying his reputation as a steady run-maker, struck three fours in four balls as Rahat Ali strayed onto the left-hander's pads. Root joined in with five fours, including a classic straight drive off Rahat.
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