Big spin! That has beaten everything amid the gasps and groans and gone for four byes.

Still Ben Duckett waits.

Is this the moment?

Joe Root takes a single to give Ben Duckett the strike back on 99...

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Ben Duckett is living life on the edge!

Ben!!

England's opener tries to get to his hundred with the reverse sweep. Somehow the ball lands in the hands of leg slip and for a second there's panic he has got it there off bat or glove but it seems to have hit Duckett's shoulder.

Image source, Reuters

Ben Duckett is insistent on dragging this out. He turns down a second run to stay on 99.

Good job too, that would have been tight.

The ball trickles to the boundary but on this occasion it's off the bat of Joe Root so Ben Duckett has to wait a bit longer.

Duckett will have the strike at the start of the next over at least.

England trail by 180 runs.

Ben Duckett looks calm but his heart must be beating a little quicker. He's just getting there in singles for now.

In the end there are three singles in Zahid's over with Ben Duckett moving to 97.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

It has been fantastic from Ben Duckett.

A stark contrast to everyone else who has played on this surface. Yesterday the hundred we saw from Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam wasn't as fluid as the one Duckett has played here.

When you see a strike rate like Duckett you think he's thrashing it around, but it has been very controlled batting. He's been selective with how he's manipulated the field with those sweep shots.

It has been a masterful innings in these conditions.

Ben Duckett has the strike now but the field is set back.

Leggie Zahid Mahmood continues after drinks. It's Joe Root on strike for now.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Noman Ali has looked the most likely to take wickets. He has varied his pace really well and has found grip out of the surface.

Sajid Khan bowled a beauty to get rid of Ollie Pope, I like his attitude. You can imagine him on a surface that spits more at the back end of this game.

It has been a good battle.

Thanks Sam. It's Ben Duckett's birthday tomorrow. He's either going to get an early birthday present in the next few minutes or suffer one of those miserable big days we discussed earlier in the Test.

First boundary for Joe Root.

He waits for Noman Ali to toss one up wide of off stump and the former England skipper sweeps powerfully in front of square.

Root then glances the ball fine and they hurry through for three to bring up the fifty partnership.

That'll be drinks and ready and waiting to take you through the remainder of day two is Matthew Henry.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

I'm not sure we are going to see anything reckless here, Joe Root is trying to gauge the surface.

He is figuring out how he's going to score his runs.

It's quite a defensive field for Zahid Mahmood but he lands it pretty well in his first over.

After a single takes Ben Duckett to 96, Joe Root flicks the ball to leg for two - his first runs in a little while.

The last one is a touch short from Zahid and Root pulls out to deep backward square for one.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Ben Duckett has to twist his feet around to play the reverse sweep and there is a cue for the bowlers to bowl it slower.

It is bouncing out of the surface and Duckett has not connected the last few times.

Here we go, leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood is coming on for his first bowl of the Test match.

Another over goes by with just a single to Ben Duckett from it.

Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have got good control at the moment. The pitch is turning, the odd one is staying low and England's batters are having to work hard.

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Duckett has made it into the nineties!

He has been out in the eighties four times. It's only the fifth time he's got past 90.