England sets Pakistan a difficult target of 355 in 2nd Test

Harry Brook scored his second successive century as England set an imposing victory target of 355 for Pakistan on a turning wicket in the second cricket test on Sunday.

Brook made 108 off 149 balls before England was bowled out for 275 on Day 3, giving the visitors more than eight sessions to have a shot at a 2-0 lead in their first test series in Pakistan for 17 years.

England took a significant 79-run first-innings after Pakistan crumbled for 202, losing seven wickets for 37 runs.

Pakistan had an injury scare Sunday when regular opening batter Imam-ul-Haq was taken to hospital for an MRI scan after he felt uneasiness in his right hamstring before play. The left-handed Imam could return at No. 7 after Mohammad Rizwan started the difficult run-chase with Abdullah Shafique.

Spinner Abrar Ahmed prospered for Pakistan again and snared a match haul of 11-234, becoming only the second Pakistani after Mohammad Zahid to take 10 wickets on test debut. Fast bowler Zahid took 11-130 against New Zealand at Rawalpindi in 1996.

Brook continued his rich run of form that helped England win the first test by 74 runs at Rawalpindi, where he hit two belligerent knocks of 153 and 87.

Resuming Sunday on 202-5, already 281 runs ahead, captain Ben Stokes (41) stretched the sixth-wicket stand with Brook to 101 runs as England scored at a brisk pace before losing five wickets for 19 runs.

Brook, 74 overnight, raised his second hundred with a pulled boundary to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz before Stokes fell to a brilliant running catch by Mohammad Ali at deep mid-wicket.

Ahmed, who took 7-114 in the first innings, claimed his fourth second-innings wicket by having Ollie Robinson clean bowled off a googly before legspinner Zahid Mahmood (3-52) took the last two wickets in one over soon after England's lead crossed the 350-run mark.

Brook, who hit 14 fours and a six, was caught in the outfield when he swept Mahmood to deep square leg and James Anderson was trapped leg before wicket. 

Image: AP