Joe Root took charge of England's quest to defy history and claim a draw against Pakistan in the second Test at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan's post-lunch declaration left England needing to face 144 overs to save the Test - a feat no team has ever managed before in Asia - with a world-record fourth-innings pursuit of 491 further back in their minds.
The size of that task grew further when openers Moeen Ali and Alastair Cook departed inside the opening 10 overs, the skipper after showing signs he was being troubled by an injury.
If a sinking feeling was falling across the England team it did not show in the resolve of Root and Ian Bell as they embarked on a century stand that proved survival, on a wearing pitch, was still very much achievable.
While Bell fell with 10 overs left in the day for a battling 46 - Pakistan correctly reviewing when a Zulfiqar Babar delivery brushed his glove - Root continued on untroubled until stumps.
The vice-captain was 59 unbeaten, with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow on six, as England had reached 130 for three from 54 overs.
With tomorrow's 90 overs left to negotiate, England will therefore head into the final day with belief they can exit Dubai with an escape act to keep the three-match series still level at 0-0.
It was Root and Bairstow who were at the crease at the start of yesterday's play, when England suffered a dramatic collapse to leave them chasing the game, but Root appeared determined not to let such slips occur again.
The 24-year-old gritted his teeth after he came in with the score 19 for two and with Bell they found a method to knit together a valuable 102-run stand over the course of 34 overs.
It was much-needed, if just to raise belief amongst their team-mates, after Moeen and Cook made early exits.
Moeen was first to depart when he chased a wide Imran Khan delivery before his skipper followed, top-edging a sweep at Yasir Shah to deep backward square-leg.
Cook had looked troubled by a bad back during his innings, especially when running between the wickets, although Assistant Coach Paul Farbrace declared after play that he was fine.
Cook's premature dismissal, however, had left England in an unhealthy position that Root and Bell cured over the course of the next couple of hours with the type of caution and fight to prove a draw was possible.
They waited patiently for their chances to score, Root's ability to late cut a feature, while Bell pounced on anything short in amongst an almost constant repeat reel of forward defensive prods to the spinners.
Eventually their resistance was broken late on when Bell attempted to leave Babar only for the ball to brush his glove on its way through to Younus Khan at first slip.
Umpire Bruce Oxenford did not spot the contact but Pakistan did and sent the decision upstairs to send Bell back after almost three hours at the crease.
That left Bairstow with a tricky period to get through, which he managed alongside Root, as they dropped anchor with just a single run from the final seven overs of the day.
Earlier, Younus reached his 31st Test century before Misbah-ul-Haq belatedly pulled his side in with the score 354 for six just after lunch.
Younus' milestone took him into the top-10 Test centurions of all time and underlined the 37-year-old's elevated status in the game.
With Asad Shafiq he shared a century stand after Misbah failed to add to his overnight 87 before miscuing a James Anderson slower ball to Cook at mid-on.
Younus finally exited when he chased quick runs after lunch, skying Adil Rashid to Moeen, who then trapped Shafiq lbw for 79 to prompt the declaration and leave England with just under five sessions to save the Test.
England return to The SSE SWALEC in Cardiff in 2015 for Royal London One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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