Pakistan v England: Stuart Broad spurred on by taxi driver taunts

Stuart Broad is confident England can prove his taxi driver wrong by wrapping up a series-levelling victory over Pakistan in the second Test.

The hosts closed a keenly contested third day in Abu Dhabi on 125-4 in their second innings, leading by 55.

Broad, who earlier hit an unbeaten 58 off 62 balls, revealed he was taunted by his cab driver the previous day.

"He was pretty confident they were going to destroy us, but I had different views," Broad said.

"With 19 overs to the new ball and only a lead of 50, we're delighted with our position.

"If we can really hold in the first 19 overs of the day, and then use the new ball and expose the tail, we'll be looking at a 150 chase."

Broad, however, acknowledged the danger of making predictions during what has been an absorbing contest.

"I keep thinking when I go to leave the ground at the end of the day, 'tomorrow evening I'll know what the result will be'," he said.

"But I keep getting to the end of the day and I'm no clearer. This has been an amazing Test match so far - one for the purists, I suppose - quite slow cricket sometimes, but very intriguing.

"It really can go either way. Tomorrow is huge for us. The new ball will be a massive hour.

"We don't want to be chasing much more than 250, but even 150-200 is going to be a bit of a 'nipper'. It's going to be tight Test cricket."

Monty Panesar claimed three wickets to help reduce Pakistan to 54-4, before an obdurate unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 71 between Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq checked England's progress.

Slow left-armer Panesar - playing his first Test since 2009 - has bowled 25 overs to first-choice spinner Graeme Swann's 15 in the second innings, having sent down almost twice as many in the first.

"He's been great for us this Test match," said Broad. "The change of angle to Swanny's [off-spin] has been really good.

"He adds some excitement and some exuberance out there. He bowled some jaffas."

Broad struck six fours and a six in his counter-attacking innings, which enabled England to convert their overnight 207-5 into 327 - and a first-innings lead of 70.

"It was a personal decision to give it a bit of a go, seeing how difficult it looked to defend with the pressure of the quick-turning ball," he said.

"I'm a natural striker of the ball and that's how I play my cricket. I don't think it was reckless hitting; I think I calculated it OK."

Azhar, whose alliance with Shafiq spanned 33 overs, also believes his side have shown enough spirit to raise hopes of victory.

"We're very confident we're fighting back in this game," he said. "We lost four wickets but we're determined and will not give up."

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