Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell scored solid hundreds as England fought back to reach 391 for seven wickets on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.
England were 71 runs behind Pakistan's imposing total of 462 after Pietersen (100) and Bell (115) put on 154 runs for the fourth wicket to rescue the team from a shaky 113 for three.
Ashley Giles was unbeaten on 23 and Shaun Udal had made six when play ended 12 overs early due to bad light.
Pietersen came good just when England needed him.
He took the attack to the Pakistani bowlers with a brilliant 100 runs from 137 balls with six fours and three sixes for his second test century.
Pietersen reached the mark with a six but was out next ball attempting the same shot.
In contrast, Bell was more patient and his runs came from 272 balls in 372 minutes of batting.
The pair went through the extended first session without any problems taking England to 217 for three at lunch.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar broke the stand when Pietersen was caught at mid-on by Mohammad Yousuf. He then removed Andrew Flintoff's middle stump for one.
Bell, who survived an easy stumping chance on 38 and then received a let off on 90 when Salman Butt failed to hold on to a sharp chance at square leg, reached his hundred by cutting Shahid Afridi for four.
Geraint Jones (55) and Giles added 51 runs for the seventh wicket.
Jones fell just before the close, trapped leg before by Afridi playing across the line after a plucky innings that included eight boundaries.
Scorecard
Pakistan 1st innings 462 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 109, S. Afridi 92, M. Yousuf 78)
England 1st innings (Overnight: 113-3)
M. Trescothick c Akmal b Sami 48
A. Strauss b Naved-ul-Hasan 12
M. Vaughan b Naved-ul-Hasan 2
I. Bell c Akmal b Afridi 115
K. Pietersen c Yousuf b Akhtar 100
A. Flintoff b Akhtar 1
G. Jones lbw b Afridi 55
A. Giles not out 23
S. Udal not out 6
Extras (b-1 lb-7 nb-20 w-1) 29
Total (for 7 wickets, 121 overs) 391
Fall of wickets: 1-33 2-39 3-107 4-261 5-272 6-327 7-378
To bat: M. Hoggard, S. Harmison
Bowling: S. Akhtar 23 - 2 - 76 - 2 (nb-3 w-1), Naved-ul-Hasan 20 - 2 - 63 - 2 (nb-8), M. Sami 19 - 4 - 51 - 1, S. Afridi 25 - 3 - 74 - 2 (nb-6), D. Kaneria 30 - 3 - 90 - 0 (nb-3), S. Malik 4 - 0 - 29 - 0
