LEEDS – Rain delayed the scheduled 11:00am local time (1000 GMT start) ofthe second day s play in the second Test between England and Pakistan atHeadingley on Saturday.
Persistent early morning drizzle saw the pitch and surrounding squareremain fully covered, with the rain that was falling steadily from greyskies above Leeds not showing much sign of stopping anytime soon.
England, looking to bounce back from their nine-wicket thrashing in thefirst Test at Lord s and end the two-match series all square at 1-1, endedthe opening day just 68 runs behind Pakistan s lowly first-innings 174.
Joe Root, the England captain, was 29 not out on his Yorkshire home ground,with nightwatchman Dominic Bess unbeaten on nought.
Pakistan only need to avoid defeat at Headingley to seal a first series winin England for 22 years.
So any rain delays, which would reduce the amount of time available toEngland to win the game, were likely to be a boost to the tourists.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and decided to bat on a goodpitch but humid and overcast conditions created an environment thatassisted swing and seam bowling.
England, bowling a fuller length than at Lord s, with pacemen Stuart Broad,James Anderson and the recalled Chris Woakes all taking three wicketsapiece in an innings where Pakistan were indebted to teenager Shadab Khan s56– the 19-year-old s third fifty in as many Tests.
England were without Ben Stokes after the all-rounder suffered a hamstringtear that threatens to keep him on the sidelines for at least a month.
Keaton Jennings, who replaced the dropped Mark Stoneman in one of threechanges to England s XI, shared an opening stand of 53 with Alastair Cookbefore he was caught behind off Faheem Ashraf.
Cook, appearing in a record-breaking 154th consecutive Test as he went pastthe mark he had previously shared with Australia great Allan Border, made46.
England s all-time leading Test run-scorer did not look in any troubleuntil, shortly before Friday s close, he gloved a hook off fast bowlerHasan Ali to wicket-keeper Sarfraz.
Defeat for England would see them slip to an 18-year low of seventh in theInternational Cricket Council s Test rankings.
England have not been so far down the standings since being ranked seventhin October 1999.
They started that year fourth but a team led by Nasser Hussain won just oneof eight Tests during the next 12 months before the appointment of formerZimbabwe all-rounder Duncan Fletcher as coach led to an upturn in England sfortunes.
Now England, who have lost six of their last eight Tests, are battling toavoid a third straight series loss following recent reverses in Australiaand New Zealand.
Defeat in Leeds and a 2-0 series result would see England drop 93 rankingpoints. In that case, the would be overtaken by Pakistan, who will rise to95, as well as Sri Lanka (94). – APP/AFP