England vs Pakistan 2020: Mohammad Abbas Strikes as England Look to Joe Root in Chase

Seamer Mohammad Abbas removed opener Rory Burns after Yasir Shah added some very important runs with a few lusty hits in the morning for Pakistan on the fourth day of the first Test against England at Old Trafford on Saturday.

At Lunch, England were 55-1, needing another 222 runs to complete the chase of 277.

Dom Sibley was 26 not out and Joe Root, the England captain, 18 not out.

The pair kept Pakistan at bay after Burns (10) was lbw to Mohammad Abbas to leave England 22-1, with the accurate seamer pinning the left-hander on the back leg from around the wicket.

Abbas had lunch figures of 1-13 from six overs, with a disciplined Sibley and Root content to pick off the occasional loose balls in the face of some tight Pakistan bowling.

England vs Pakistan 2020: First Test at Manchester, Day 4: Follow Live

Pakistan resumed on 137-8, a lead of 244.

The tail then frustrated England by adding 32 runs in just 16 balls before Pakistan were dismissed for 169 in their second innings.

Yasir struck a quickfire 33 off 24 balls, including five fours and a six after taking 4-66 in his primary role as a leg-spinner during England’s modest first-innings 219.

Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, who had taken four wickets between them late Friday to drag England back into the match, did not bowl on Saturday, with Root opting instead for Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad.

Yasir, 12 not out overnight, extended the lead past 250 by taking 10 runs off the first three balls of Saturday’s play from fast bowler Archer.

A clipped legside two was followed by a powerful pull for four well in front of square from a short ball that did not get up.

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And when Archer dropped short outside off stump, Yasir cleverly uppercut him high over the slips for another boundary.

Yasir then promptly clubbed Broad’s first ball Saturday through midwicket for four.

And he surpassed that stroke when, two balls later, he hoisted Broad for a magnificent six.

Broad had Yasir caught behind but by then the damage had been done.

Last man Naseem Shah then played a shot worthy of a top order batsman when he got off the mark first ball by lofting Broad straight back over his head for four before he was bowled by Archer.

England are trying to end a run of losing the first Test in each of their last five series.