Pakistan v England: Joe Root and Alastair Cook lead tourists' reply

Second Test, Dubai, day two

Pakistan 378: Misbah 102, Shafiq 83, Wood 3-39, Moeen 3-108

England 182-3: Root 76*, Cook 65

England trail by 196 runs

Scorecard

Joe Root and Alastair Cook hit fifties as England made a strong start to their first-innings reply in the second Test against Pakistan, closing on 182-3.

Cook was caught for 65 but Root was unbeaten on 76 when bad light stopped play with the match evenly poised.

Earlier, the bowlers produced an excellent morning session in Dubai to reduce the hosts from a strong position of 282-4 overnight to 378 all out.

Mark Wood claimed two wickets to finish with 3-39, while Asad Shafiq hit 83.

Moeen Ali chipped in with two important wickets in the morning to record figures of 3-108 but he fared less well with the bat, caught at short leg for one in his second chance alongside Cook at the top of the order.

Under-pressure batsman Ian Bell followed soon after, out for four to leave England in trouble at 14-2, but after Cook and Root's fine rebuilding job, the tourists will be confident of challenging Pakistan's first-innings total.

The series is level at 0-0 after the first Test in Abu Dhabi was drawn.