Aslam and Azhar make England suffer in 3rd Test
BIRMINGHAM – Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali batted through the afternoon session to lift Pakistan to 154 for one at tea on the second day of the third test against England in Birmingham on Thursday.
Replying to the hosts' 297, Aslam moved on to 69 not out with Azhar on 72 as England struggled to make anything happen on a flat wicket at Edgbaston.
The hosts made their only breakthrough with the fourth ball of the day when Mohammad Hafeez cut James Anderson straight to Gary Ballance at point.
Anderson induced a rash stroke from Azhar shortly after lunch but Joe Root spilled a difficult catch at second slip and England's frustration mounted.
Azhar drove Steven Finn off the back-foot for three to bring up his 21st test half century and Aslam, 20, swept spinner Moeen Ali for four to reach his maiden test fifty in his third match.
The four-match series is level at 1-1.
SCOREBOARD
England 1st innings 297 (G. Ballance 70, M. Ali 63; S. Khan 5-96) Pakistan 1st innings M. Hafeez c Ballance b Anderson 0 S. Aslam not out 69 Az. Ali not out 72 Extras (b-2 lb-10 nb-1) 13 Total (for 1 wickets, 55 overs) 154 Fall of wickets: 1-0 M. Hafeez To bat: Y. Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, A. Shafiq, S. Ahmed, M. Amir, R. Ali, Y. Shah, S. Khan Bowling J. Anderson 13 - 4 - 22 - 1 S. Broad 12 - 3 - 24 - 0(nb-1) S. Finn 12 - 3 - 33 - 0 C. Woakes 12 - 1 - 31 - 0 M. Ali 6 - 0 - 32 - 0 Referees Umpire: Bruce Oxenford Umpire: Joel Wilson TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena Match referee: Richie Richardson.–Reuters