Pakistan vs England: Daunting total leaves England with world record chase as second Test defeat looms

Pakistan 378 & 354-6d, England 242

Younes Khan celebrates reaching his century to give Pakistan a commanding lead over England (Getty Images)

England must somehow bat for more than four-and-a-half sessions to save the second Test, and stay level at 0-0, after Pakistan set them a notional world-record target of 491.

The hosts declared at last on 354 for six in early afternoon on day four in Dubai, following Younus Khan's 31st Test century.

Asad Shafiq also bagged the fourth 50 of the innings, before Misbah-ul-Haq decided it was time again to test England's batsmen against the pace of Wahab Riaz and spin of Yasir Shah on a wearing pitch.

Younus (118) lost his overnight partner Misbah early, the captain missing his chance of a second century in the match for the second time in his career when - as in the first innings - he fell without addition on the resumption.

But Pakistan's all-time record run scorer was unfazed by that on the way to yet another hundred of his own.

James Anderson broke the fourth-wicket stand on 141 in the fourth over of the day when Misbah (87) mistimed his slower off-cutter straight into the hands of mid-off.

England's task was not significantly eased, however, as they waited for the inevitable moment when they must bat last.

Younus completed his century with his 11th four, a back-foot force off Adil Rashid, from 193 balls - in a stand of 113 with Shafiq (79).

All the while, Misbah was free to calculate at his leisure how much more energy he could make England expend in the field and how long Pakistan might need to bowl them out.

England unsurprisingly declined the availability of a second new ball, choosing a lack of pace rather than any acceleration of their likely fate.

It was Rashid who got Younus after lunch, his first wicket of the innings and second of the match, when an attempted slog resulted in a well-judged catch at deep mid-on by Moeen Ali.

When Misbah finally called time, after Shafiq was lbw to a Moeen off-break, England needed to exceed by 73 runs the previous highest all-time successful run chase.

Realistically, it would be a heroic effort to avoid defeat from here.

PA