For the umpteenth time in his career, the captain had to cope with a situation he is all too familiar with and yet again he proved to be his team’s saviour.
Thanks to Inzamam’s unbeaten 80, Pakistan finished the day on a respectable 300-4, the flamboyant Shahid Afridi unconquered with an electrifying 67.
Cut down to 87-3 by lunch, Inzamam together with Yousuf flogged the English attack in a masterly batting display that troubled the bowlers who were frustrated no end after what had been a rewarding opening session for them.
The two big guns of Pakistan cricket shared 128 runs for the fourth wicket seeing off the entire second period in which the home side added 102 runs. Yousuf’s 143-ball 78 was his first half century under his new name since embracing Islam recently.
But he was dismissed just as Pakistan crossed the 200-mark, a contentious caught and bowled decision off Ian Bell. Replays showed that the ball had touched the ground when the catch was taken.
The hosts were unnerved though by that loss with Inzamam continuing to plunder runs and Afridi, coming in for Hasan Raza doing the same. The all-rounder’s big hitting in an unbroken 99-run fifth wicket stand sent a full house wild.
Four sixes, dispatched in trademark style and five boundaries were the highlight of his fiery 62-ball knock that had only one blemish. He was dropped by rival captain Michael Vaughan in the covers when on 34 as he tried to step up a gear.
Inzamam, mixed caution with aggression and blunted the attack with eight fours and faced 159 balls and proved to be a real thorn for the bowlers.
There was a wicket each for pacers Mathew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Ian Bell while spinners Ashley Giles and Shaun Udal had no luck at all.
England had put Pakistan in a tight corner at lunch. A free-flowing beginning by openers Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt who put on a fifty partnership did not deter the tourists who picked up three wickets.
On a pitch offering no pace or bounce, Malik greeted Hoggard with an elegant four in the first over of the day while Salman struck Flintoff for two successive boundaries after Inzamam had chosen to bat first.
The bowlers who looked wayward early in the morning were punished further, Malik hitting Giles for a first ball six at long on and Salman, who cracked a century in the first Test at Multan, giving him similar treatment with a lift over deep mid-wicket.
But Durham paceman Harmison ensured the run-flow was checked well in time removing Butt who edged a full pitched delivery through to wicket-keeper Geraint Jones for 26.
Vice-captain Younis Khan could get only 7, falling to a slower one from Flintoff just as he returned for his second spell.
There was more for the Englishmen, desperately seeking a win here to square the series and it came in the shape of Malik’s scalp.
Just when he looked well set to add more runs, he dispatched a Hoggard delivery straight to Flintoff at short cover having scored 27 runs.
After those early hiccups, Pakistan finished the day clearly on top and can now look for a score of 450 when play resumes on Monday.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN (1st Innings):
Shoaib Malik c Flintoff b Hoggard 27
Salman Butt c Jones b Harmison 26
Younis Khan c Pietersen b Flintoff 7
Mohammad Yousuf c and b Bell 78
Inzamamul Haq not out 80
Shahid Afridi not out 67
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-1, NB-9) 15
TOTAL (for four wkts, 81 overs) 300
FALL OF WKTS: 1-53, 2-63, 3-73, 4-201.
TO BAT: Kamran Akmal, Rana Navedul Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria.
BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 16-0-69-1 (8nb); Flintoff 21-1-53-1 (1nb); Giles 10-0-55-0; Harmison 17-4-37-1; Udal 11-1-49-0; Bell 6-1-31-1.
ENGLAND: M.E. Trescothick, A.J. Strauss, M.P. Vaughan, I.R. Bell, K.P. Pietersen, A. Flintoff, G.O. Jones, A.F. Giles, S.D. Udal, M.J. Hoggard, S.J. Harmison.
UMPIRES: D.B. Hair and S.J.A. Taufel (both Australia).
TV UMPIRE: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka).