Cricket:Zulqarnain Haider's defiant 88 made England work harder and wait longer than anyone had bargained for as their victory push stalled in the second Test at Edgbaston today.
Debutant Haider shared stands of 52 for the seventh wicket with Mohammad Aamer and 115 for the eighth with Saeed Ajmal (50) as Pakistan reached 291 for nine, leaving England needing to make at least 113 tomorrow.
Haider and Aamer demonstrated fine technique and temperament to defy Graeme Swann — who returned a career-best six for 60 — in the afternoon session on a helpful day-three pitch.
Then England were held up still further by Ajmal and Haider — who had made a golden duck in the first innings — reaching his 50 and simultaneously putting his team in credit with a memorable on-drive off Steven Finn for his ninth four.
He had come in at 82 for five, avoided a king pair only after a DRS review of his first ball from Swann disproved an lbw decision, and also got the right end of a review on 18 when an exasperated Stuart Broad thought he had him caught behind.