Both Pakistan and England camps happy with Day 2 of the first Test

This was the fifth innings in succession in Abu Dhabi in which they have been able to declare. But also England responded well, with 56 runs for no loss.

Pakistan's Shoaib Malik, right, and teammate Asad Shafiq run between the wickets during the second day's play of the first Test match against England in Abu Dhabi on October 14, 2015. Marwan Naamani Show more

ABU DHABI // Pakistan’s batsmen have rarely had it this good. Asad Shafiq made his eighth Test hundred and Shoaib Malik registered his first double as Pakistan declared soon after tea on the second day at 523 for eight.

Those brought the number of hundreds Pakistan’s batsmen have scored in their last six Tests in the UAE to 18 and was the fifth innings in succession in Abu Dhabi in which they have been able to declare.

England responded well, negotiating 21 overs without undue alarm or loss of wickets, they will still have a mountain of runs to eat into on the third day.

“We are in a good position now,” Shafiq said. “We had a good start and in the team meeting we had a talk that if a good partnership gets going and if we could touch 500, it would become easy for us. And that’s what happened. We had a good partnership. So, far everything is going well for us.”

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Pakistan went through their bowling options in the brief period before the close but could not find an opening on a pitch that is still in good condition.

“It was very tough day and a half,” said Ben Stokes, who benefited from Pakistan’s surge to a declaration to end up with four wickets.

“That’s the longest I have ever spent in the field – 40°C doesn’t help either – but all the bowlers stuck at their task very, very well.”

Stokes was confident that England’s batsmen could prosper. He said Pakistan “didn’t really look to change gears, just knew they needed to go big because they know the pitch deteriorates and that first innings will be big.

With England openers Alastair Cook and Mooen Ali set to resume today on 56 without loss, Stokes added: “‘Cooky’ and ‘Mo’ have set the tone for the next two days of batting, so to come off after what could have been a dodgy 25 overs is a great effort.”​

THE NATIONAL’S VERDICT

This is looking a lot like the template Pakistan profited from last winter against Australia. Bat first, make the pitch look dead, score big, then come back to bowl the opposition out with spin and clever pace.

The first part of the plan has succeeded: they have scored big. But in the 21 overs that Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali negotiated before the close, their attack did not make the kind of inroads they may have been expecting. They will miss Yasir Shah but the first session today is vital.

If England do not lose more than a wicket, then they can see themselves batting long and big. Anything more and it could be trouble.

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