Pakistan consolidate position

Abu Dhabi - Shoaib Malik posted his highest score to boost Pakistan on the second day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Malik was not out on 168 as Pakistan reached 389-4 at lunch after resuming on 286-4 on a placid Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.

With Malik was Asad Shafiq batting on 66 and the pair have so far added 138 for an unbroken fifth wicket stand, piling on the agony on England whose pace-cum-spin attack struggled.

Malik, recalled to the Test side after five years, resumed at 124 and hit a four and six off wicket-less leg-spinner Adil Rashid before smashing a boundary off seamer Mark Wood to better his previous best score as well as completing 150.

His previous best of 148 not out came against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2006.

Malik has so far hit 20 fours and a six during his solid 318-ball knock.

Shafiq, who completed his 11th Test half-century, with a single, batted with confidence and has so far hit seven boundaries in his 129-ball stay.

Both Malik and Shafiq left England bowlers to toil further and ruing the two chances they failed to grab against the two batsmen.

Malik was caught off a Stuart Broad's no-ball on 40 and Shafiq was let off by Ian Bell off James Anderson when on ten - both on Tuesday.

Anderson was the most successful bowler with 2-34.

Both England'sspinners - debutant Rashid and Moeen Ali - failed to make an impact on a pitch which is expected to take turn as the game progressed.