Shaoib Malik double century punishes England

Shoaib Malik's comeback double-century exacted an ever escalating cost for the chances spurned by England in the first Test against Pakistan.

Shoaib escaped via a no-ball let-off on 40 when Stuart Broad had him caught but overstepped, and centurion Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Hafeez were both dropped early in their major contributions to a total of 523 for eight declared at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

England’s mishaps all came on Tuesday but haunted them all the more by the time Pakistan asked them to start their reply after tea yesterday – and in the circumstances, consigned to trying to eke out a stalemate with the bat, they did well to reach stumps with their embryonic rearguard intact on 56 for none.

Shoaib, in his first Test for more than five years, turned his century into a career-best before lunch and stayed put until he had a tour-de-force near 11-hour 245 to his name.