England experienced the familiar feeling of missed opportunities as Pakistan's determined middle-order guided the hosts into a promising position in the second Test.

Having come so close to enforcing the follow-on in the drawn opening Test, England were again left frustrated on day one in Faisalabad at their inability to exert a stranglehold after claiming a commanding position by tea at the Iqbal stadium.

The tourists responded well to the first real examination of their resolve since their arrival in Pakistan, during which opener Saeed Anwar spearheaded an explosive start after his team had won an important toss and decided to bat.

Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles then claimed three wickets, while Yorkshire pair Darren Gough and Craig White took one each, as Pakistan collapsed from 96 for one to 151 for five.

Needing to find the killer instinct, however, England were confronted by the determination of in-form Yousuf Youhana and streetwise captain Moin Khan, whose unbroken 92-run partnership in just 118 minutes guided Pakistan to a promising 243 for five.

''We'd have liked to have had a better last session,'' admitted Giles, who followed up his impressive performance in the opening Test by claiming three for 57 yesterday, having taken the lion's share of the workload.

''We'd have liked a couple more wickets, but I don't think we'll get too down about that because if we can take an early one tomorrow we'll be well in the game.''

Giles' introduction into the attack in the 16th over of the day appeared to be the turning point after Saeed had hammered 53 off only 52 balls and looked capable of propelling Pakistan to an imposing score even before lunch.

The Warwickshire spinner could have dismissed him with only his sixth delivery but failed to take a sharply-driven return catch.

He refused to be intimidated by Saeed's brilliance, tossing the ball up to try to tempt him into a rash shot.

The tactic worked when Saeed danced down the pitch and found the safe hands of Graham Thorpe at mid-wicket and two balls later Giles claimed a bonus scalp when Inzamam-ul-Haq was bowled for a duck, with the ball spinning back on to his stumps after a defensive stroke.

Giles struck again 13 overs after lunch when he dropped shorter to Salim Elahi, who made room and flat-batted the ball to Michael Atherton at point having made 41.

With White bowling Abdur Razzaq through the gate for nine just before tea, the stage was set for Giles and leg-spinner Ian Salisbury to use the turning surface to their advantage and finish off the innings.

Instead Salisbury finished wicketless again, following identical fates in both the Test and the warm-up match in Lahore, as Pakistan's sixth-wicket pair shifted the advantage back to their side.

Youhana simply picked up where he left off from the last Test, where he hit a brilliant 124, and advanced to 61 not out.

He seized on any loose deliveries but played with a responsibility beyond his 26 years to enable Moin to use a more aggressive approach, racing to an unbeaten 57 with two sixes and six fours.

''Moin always comes at you and tries something different but sometimes stuffs himself by trying too much,'' said Giles.

''He's an aggressive cricketer. I can't see him plodding around all day tomorrow and that gives me a chance as well.''

Giles may welcome the battle in his current form. But Salisbury is a different case study and having entered the Test without a wicket in 276 deliveries he may not relish the prospect of a batsman on the attack.

Salisbury bowled 60 more balls yesterday without any further success, too often giving the Pakistan batsmen a free hit every over although he may have felt aggrieved at the rejection of a loud appeal for lbw when Moin padded up before he had scored.

Giles said: ''I feel for Ian. He's just struggling for a wicket.