Shoaib Malik records career-best figures to bowl England out for 306 in 3rd Test at Sharjah

Shoaib Malik and Yasir Shah took four and three wickets respectively, as England ended with a 72-run lead.

England folded up for a score of 306 after 126.5 overs with a lead of 72 on Day Three of the ongoing third and final Test against Pakistan at Sharjah on Tuesday. Shoaib Malik finished with career best figures of 4 for 33, while Yasir Shah took 3 for 99 as they managed to outperform the visitors so far in the day’s play. James Taylor, who was the first to depart on the third day, remained the top-scorer for the tourists with a 161-ball 76, with impressive contributions coming in from the likes of Alastair Cook (49), Jonny Bairstow (43) Samit Patel (42) and Ian Bell (40). LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England 2015, 3rd Test in Sharjah

Ben Stokes, who had sustained a serious injury to his right shoulder on the opening day, was the last man dismissed in the England innings, becoming Malik’s fourth wicket in the process by getting his off-stump rattled.

Taylor was dismissed by Rahat Ali in a manner similar to that of Joe Root — edged a delivery pitched outside off — with wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed taking another brilliant low catch with a dive to his right as the 89-run Taylor-Bairstow stand finally came to an end. Bairstow was the next to depart, getting bowled while attempting a cut off an arm ball from Zulfiqar Babar, getting foxed by the pace as the ball crashed between the middle and leg stump. LIVE CRICKET UPDATES: Pakistan vs England 2015, 3rd Test at Sharjah, Day 3

Patel led the recovery process for England, getting the boundaries on an occasional basis while preserving his wickets against the Pakistani spinners, who were breathing fire during the morning session. Adil Rashid, who scored a brave 61 in the second innings in the previous Test, was ambling along at the other end while Patel collected the runs. He was however, dismissed at the stroke of lunch after getting an inside edge towards short-leg, where Azhar Ali took a good reflex catch to his right for England to lose their seventh wicket.

The start of the second session belonged clearly to the Pakistani spinners, with Malik and Yasir cleaning up the remainder of the English tail in no time.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 234 (Shoaib Malik 38, Younis Khan 31, Misbah-ul-Haq 71, Sarfraz Ahmed 39; James Anderson 4 for 17, Stuart Broad 2 for 13) trail England 306 (Alastair Cook 49, Ian Bell 40, James Taylor 76, Jonny Bairstow 43, Samit Patel 42; Shoaib Malik 4 for 33, Yasir Shah 3 for 99) by 72 runs.

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