Alastair Cook's defiant resistance proved in vain as England failed in their quest to make history and secure a series draw against Pakistan after losing the third Test in Sharjah by127 runs.
The tourists' hopes of accumulating another 238 in 90 overs on the final day to chase 284 was immediately undermined by the loss of four wickets in the first seven overs and, despite Cook's 63, they were dismissed for 156 early in the afternoon session.
Resuming on 46 for two, after Moeen Ali and Ian Bell departed to Shoaib Malik late last night, England soon slipped to 59 for six as Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar utilised favourable conditions for spinners to snare two scalps each.
Cook called on all his determination and skill during his 164-ball innings, adding 49 with Adil Rashid for the seventh wicket, but the pressure of the record chase on a turning pitch producing occasional low bounce ultimately proved too much.
Yasir claimed 4-44 while Malik took 3-26 on his final format appearance to lead the designated hosts to a 2-0 win, a result which preserves their unbeaten record in Test series in the United Arab Emirates and moves them to second in the International Cricket Council rankings.
Having conceded a first-innings deficit of 72, Pakistan were reliant on a match-winning knock of 151 from Mohammad Hafeez to leave England with a chase that was 75 runs more than their current highest pursuit in Asia.
Skipper Alastair Cook battles hard with a half-century on the final day of the third and final Test in Sharjah
The tourists' hopes of toppling the record 209 they chased against Bangladesh in Dhaka six years ago rested on the shoulders of Cook and Joe Root, their side's leading run-scorers in the series.
But Root departed in the second over of the day and three of his team-mates soon followed, in the space of 31 balls for the addition of just 11 runs, to end their chances of a famous triumph.
Root, the number-one ranked batsman in Tests, played back to Yasir and was hit on the pad in front of leg by a delivery that kept low and snuck under his forward defensive.
James Taylor failed to repeat his impressive first-innings performance with the bat as he, perhaps losing his balance pushing forward, tickled Babar to Younus Khan at slip.
After Jonny Bairstow was struck low on the thigh trying to sweep Yasir fourth ball, Samit Patel went back and also fell lbw, this time to Babar.
Cook and Rashid comfortably saw off the spinners, both showing attacking intent to advance down the track and hit over the top of the infield, as they held firm for 21.2 overs.
Yasir Shah traps Joe Root lbw in the second over of the day to start a collapse that proved fatal for England
Misbah-ul-Haq opted for seam for the first time after 95 minutes and Rahat Ali struck in his second over when Rashid, attempting a lavish drive, was bowled by an inswinger.
Cook, batting alongside Stuart Broad for the first time in 87 Tests, reached a 142-ball fifty that contained only two fours on the stroke of lunch, with England 120 for seven.
The attacking then Broad went in tame fashion for 20, sweeping Yasir straight to Malik at square-leg, before Cook missed the opportunity to carry his bat for the first time in 122 Tests.
Malik saw Cook advancing and dragged a ball down that the left-hander, who made 450 runs in the three Tests at an average of 90, missed and Sarfraz Ahmed completed the stumping.
Injured Ben Stokes, in at number 10, was the last to fall, in similar fashion to Cook, this time down the leg side off Yasir.
The 24-year-old had defied the pain of his collar bone problem sustained on day one to make 12 including carting a four to the deep-midwicket rope.
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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