RAWALPINDI: England grabbed a couple of quick wickets Sunday after setting Pakistan a daunting target of 343 for victory with one day to play in a high-scoring first Test at Rawalpindi.
Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique (six) and skipper Babar Azam (four) in their second innings before Imam-ul-Haq (43) and Saud Shakeel (24) ended day four at the crease on 80-2.
Earlier, Harry Brook struck a fiery 87 as England batted aggressively in their second innings before declaring at 264-7 - a lead of 78.
Debutant spinner Will Jacks took a career-best 6-161 as England finally dismissed Pakistan for 579 in response to their mammoth first-innings score of 657.
Seeking ten Pakistan wickets in a maximum of 130 overs, England showed their intent early and Ollie Robinson soon bounced out opener Shafique — who scored a century in the first innings.
In the same over he struck Azhar Ali with a sharp, rising delivery, forcing him to retire with an injured finger.
Then Stokes got the prized wicket of Pakistan skipper Azam by forcing an edge off a rising delivery that landed safely in keeper Ollie Pope´s hands — shocking the holiday crowd of 14,200.
But Haq — who also scored a century in the first innings — steadied the ship with Shakeel with a 55-run third-wicket stand.
The second session belonged to England, who added 218 runs before declaring when Brook was bowled in Naseem Shah´s last over before tea.
Brook smashed 11 boundaries and three sixes in a swashbuckling knock, coming after his 153 in England´s first innings.
Root also played a part in a 96-run partnership with Brook, scoring his 55th Test half-century.
Leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood dismissed Root and Stokes (nought) in the same over to finish with figures of 2-84, while Naseem took 2-66 and Mohammad Ali 2-64.
In the morning session, debutant Jacks took all three wickets to fall after Pakistan resumed at 499-7 -- but not before the host´s tail-enders scored freely on a much-maligned flat Rawalpindi Stadium pitch.
Agha Salman (53) and Mahmood (17) frustrated England for 50 minutes during their stubborn eighth-wicket stand of 57.
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