James Anderson and Stuart Broad returned combined figures of 28.1-15-30-6 as England overcame the frustration of Alastair Cook losing a third consecutive toss by dismissing Pakistan for 234 on the opening day of the crucial third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah.
The tourists, needing to win to draw the three-match series, appeared to be up against it when Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq decided to bat on another flat pitch.
But superbly led by Anderson and Broad, England's bowlers extracted plenty of turn and occasional reverse swing from the surface at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium to put the designated hosts under serious pressure from the off.
Anderson and Broad bowled disciplined line and lengths in returning 4-17 and 2-13 respectively, the latter remarkably only conceding one run in nine overs during an afternoon session in which Pakistan slipped to 116 for five.
Although England's progress was halted after tea courtesy of a 80-run sixth-wicket stand between Misbah and Sarfraz Ahmed, they hit back late on by claiming five wickets for 38 runs to wrap up the innings.
Moeen Ali and Samit Patel, returning to the international scene after a near three-year absence, both chipped in with two scalps, although they both struggled for consistency along with fellow tweaker Adil Rashid.
The only negative from the day, in which England closed on four without loss, was a shoulder injury sustained by Ben Stokes when falling awkwardly attempting an audacious catch at deep backward square, the all-rounder requiring scans tomorrow morning to determine the extent of the damage.
England return to The SSE SWALEC in Cardiff in 2016 for Royal London One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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