Daijiworld Media Network

London, Jul 16 : Stumps, Day 2: So, the appalling run-rate sneaks into the Pakistani bowling card as well, and despite the leggie Yasir Shah bowling a mind-boggling 25 overs at a stretch, we have managed to fall short of the number of overs we should have had by now. But a superb comeback by Pakistan after getting steamrolled in the first hour of play, with Woakes playing the tormenter-in-chief picking up six wickets to blow away the tail. But once the army of left-arm seamers came out with the new cherry, they managed to get the ball to talk, posing some serious questions to the English openers. With some help from the slip fielders and the keeper who put down regulation sitters, Amir, on his comeback at the same ground where it all went so wrong six years ago, could have had Cook twice.

Cook managed to capitalize big time on the two lives and along with Joe Root for company stiched together a 110-run stand. But the advent of the leggie managed to pierce the fragile middle order as he displayed exceptional character to bamboozle the batsmen with his guile and drift to get his name engraved on that coveted honours board. Still trailing by 86 runs, and with just three wickets in hand, a mountain of a challenge awaits the hosts as they would look to minimize their deficit on a fresh morning, against arguably the most potent attack in this format. Do join us tomorrow for what perhaps could be the deciding day of this intriguing Test.

Mohammad Amir was supposed to take centre-stage after Pakistan were bowled out for 339 an hour before lunch on the second day of their first Test against England.

But the pacer struggled to find his rhythm and once he did, Amir was let down by his team-mates who dropped England captain Alastair Cook twice off the left-armer.

While Amir’s attempts were going futile, the other chief weapon in Pakistan’s armoury – Yasir Shah – came to the visitors’ rescue.

The spinner became the first leggie to take a five-wicket haul at Lord’s in 20 years. He achieved that feat on his very first Test outside Asia.

Yasir’s 5-64 kept Pakistan in the hunt for a valuable first inning lead as England were still 86 runs behind at 253-7 for 7 when play ended on Friday. Chris Woakes was unbeaten at 30 with Stuart Broad batting at 11.

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 reprieved 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.

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 the 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.

But Yasir turned the tide after lunch when he had Root carelessly hole out off a miscued sweep.

Vince and the recalled Ballance, both failing to ‘pick’ Yasir, were lbw as he the spinner — who returned from a three-month drugs ban after this year’s Word Twenty20 — took two for two in eight balls.

It was after tea that Amir finally took his first Test wicket in six years when he bowled Cook.

With Cook in sight of a hundred on the second day of the first of a four-Test series, Amir took the fielders out of the equation by inducing Cook to play on for 81.

That left England 171 for five in reply to Pakistan’s first innings 339 — a deficit of 168 runs.

At that stage, Amir had taken one for 46 in 12.2 overs, with his 52nd Test wicket coming in his 15th match at this level.

“Why did it take Pakistan so long to bowl full and wide to Cook?,” said former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott, commentating on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

By dismissing Cook, Amir had taken his first wicket in a Test match since he dismissed England’s Graeme Swann on his way to figures of six for 84 in an innings and 225-run defeat for Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010 — a result overshadowed by the spot-fixing scandal.

After Cook’s departure, Yasir struck twice first getting rid of Jonny Bairstow (29) by deceiving him with a lovely delivery and then trapping Moin Ali (23) in front of the stumps.

Earlier, England all-rounder Chris Woakes took a Test-best six for 70 as Pakistan, 282 for six overnight, were bowled out for 339.

Misbah only added four to his overnight 110 not out before he was bowled by Stuart Broad after the 42-year-old had become the oldest player in 82 years to make a Test century on Thursday.

Amir, booed by a small section of a capacity crowd as he walked out to bat, inside edged his first ball in Test cricket in six years, from Broad, for four.

He was last man out for 12, caught in the slip off Broad, who took three for 71.