Ben Duckett made a brisk half-century as England reached 88-1 at tea on day two of the second Test in Multan on Wednesday in reply to Pakistan’s 366.
At the break opener Duckett was motoring on 53 and Ollie Pope was five not out, the visitors having lost Zak Crawley for 27.
England trailed by 278 runs with nine wickets intact.
Duckett reached his 12th Test half-century off 47 balls as England made quick in-roads against a Pakistan attack that has only one frontline seamer in Aamer Jamal.
The hosts used off-spinner Sajid Khan in the second over as they chased an early England wicket but opener Crawley held out twice.
At 49-0 he survived a run-out when Sajid removed the stumps before grabbing the ball with the England opener out of his crease having being sent back by Duckett.
On 24 Crawley overturned a leg-before decision by New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney off Sajid before his luck ran out three runs later.
Crawley was finally caught behind off left-arm spinner Noman Ali as the home team successfully reviewed a not-out decision by Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
Spinner Jack Leach grabbed four wickets to help England dismiss Pakistan for 366.
The left-armer took 4-114 while pacers Brydon Carse finished with 3-50 and Matthew Potts 2-66 as Pakistan managed to add 107 after resuming the day on 259-5.
Debutant Kamran Ghulam top-scored with 118 and Saim Ayub made 77.
Pakistan’s tail frustrated England as the hosts reached 358-8 at lunch after the visitors took three early wickets.
All-rounder Aamer Jamal and Noman Ali were at the crease on 37 and 29 respectively as they foiled England’s attack with an unbroken stand of 49 for the ninth wicket.
Pakistan resumed on 259-5 and England struck early on a reused Multan Stadium pitch that not only offered some spin but also helped the seamers extract reverse swing.
Carse (2-43) had Mohammad Rizwan caught behind by Jamie Smith for 41 in the third over of the day.
Rizwan hit five boundaries in his shaky knock.
Carse’s fellow seamer Potts (2-65) forced an edge off Salman Agha on a sharp rising delivery with Smith taking another regulation catch to leave the hosts on 302-7.
Agha’s knock of 31 also had five boundaries.
Leach took his third wicket of the innings when he dismissed Sajid Khan for two, caught at short cover by Joe Root.
Ghulam struck a century to anchor Pakistan’s innings on the first day.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 following their innings victory in the first Test, also in Multan.
