by Michael McCann

Ben Stokes blamed an unhelpful pitch contributing to Pakistan declaring on 523-8 on day two of the first Test in Abu Dhabi yesterday, with England closing on 56-0 in reply.

Shoaib Malik made 243 and Asad Shafiq hit 107 in a record fifth-wicket standof 248 against the visitors, while Stokes claimed 4-57 before explaining that the surface required persistence.

“I bowled 18 overs on the pitch and didn’t know how I was going to get a wicket unless someone tried to slog me, which was probably how I ended up taking four,” he said.

“There is not a lot of sideways movement of the pitch or in the air. You have just got to try and let the batsman get bored before you do.

“Stuart Broad and James Anderson talked about it being a game of patience, having played out here before, which Mark Wood and I are not used to as first-timers here.”

The double century scored by Mailk is the fifth in eight matches at Abu Dhabi and showed a spectacular comeback for Malik in his first Test match for five years.

Stokes cited this an example England must follow, saying: “Malik played very well and once he got in he made sure he went big.

“That is probably the innings that one of our top-order need to do so that lower-order can come with 300 or 400 on the board.”

England suffered through the lack of control offered by spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, whose combined figures were 2-64 and 0-284, with those of Yorkshire leg-spinner Rashid the worst by any Test debutant.

The seamers bowled well in the searing heat, with both Anderson and Broad conceding less than 2.1 runs per over, while Stokes claimed four wickets.

Alistair Cook and Ali did bat well to lead an England recovery, the captain particularly fluent in reaching 39 not-out to leave the visitors 467 behind heading into day three.