Inzamam puts Pakistan in control

Pakistan rode on half centuries from Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi to reach a comfortable 300 for four against England at close on the first day of the second Test on Sunday.

Inzamam (80 not out) and Shahid Afridi (67 not out) had put on 99 runs for the fifth wicket to boost the innings after Yousuf scored a superb 78 before falling to a contentious caught and bowled by Ian Bell.

Yousuf stood his ground for a while after his drive was picked up low by Bell and TV replays suggested the ball may have kissed the ground as the catch was completed.

Umpires Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel at square leg did not consult the TV umpire and Bell's appeal for a catch was upheld.

Yousuf had posted a 128 runs stand with his captain to help Pakistan recover from a precarious 87 for three at lunch on a placid pitch after the home side won the toss.

Inzamam scored his 42nd half-century while Afridi got his seventh. Play was called off nine overs early due to bad light.

Afridi savaged the England bowlers in the final session taking just 62 balls for his runs and hitting four sixes and four fours. His half-century came from just 46 balls.

He was let off at 34 by captain Michael Vaughan who returned to the side after missing the first test due to a knee injury.

Vaughan put down a straight-forward chance at cover off Matthew Hoggard. Afridi made England pay for the miss as next he drove Shaun Udal on to the rooftop and then hit him for a six to mid-wicket.

Pakistan lead the three-test series 1-0.

Scorecard

Pakistan 1st innings                             
S. Malik c Flintoff b Hoggard 27
S. Butt c G. Jones b Harmison 26
Y. Khan c Pietersen b Flintoff 7
M. Yousuf c&b Bell 78
Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 80
S. Afridi not out 67
Extras (b-5 lb-1 nb-9) 15
Total (for 4 wickets, 81 overs) 300

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-63, 3-73, 4-201

To bat: K. Akmal, M. Sami, S. Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan, D. Kaneria

Bowling: M. Hoggard 16 - 0 - 69 - 1 (nb-8), A. Flintoff 21 - 1 - 53 - 1 (nb-1), A. Giles 10 - 0 - 55 - 0, S. Harmison 17 - 4 - 37 - 1, S. Udal 11 - 1 - 49 - 0, I Bell 6 - 1 - 31 - 1