After losing late wickets on day two of the second Test against Pakistan, Alastair Cook is still confident England are in a strong position in Abu Dhabi.

The opener contributed 94 as England reached 207 for five where three late wickets fell for the addition of nine runs. England now trail by just 50 runs after bowling Pakistan out for 257 in the morning session.

"I think we've had a really good day, to wrap up their innings with only one more run in the morning," he said.

"That last half an hour has just shifted it back to maybe a little bit evens. But we're one partnership away from getting through that first half an hour and suddenly a 50 deficit becomes a 50 lead at lunch.

"If you've got wickets in hand you can turn that into a bit of a lead. But in these conditions if you look too far ahead it's a problem."

After losing the wicket of Andrew Strauss for 11, Cook and Jonathan Trott (74) knuckled down and took England to a comfortable position of 166 for one before the latter was bowled by Abdur Rehman, triggering the mini-collapse.

"Everything can seem to be going fine, and then you lose wickets and new guys come in," added Cook.

"You saw when Trotty and I had the partnership, you feel comfortable and then you lose wickets and suddenly it all changes."

The England vice-captain added that he felt sorry for team-mates Kevin Pietersen (14) and Eoin Morgan (three) as the pair had to bat at a tricky stage of the match on a turning wicket.

"It's quite hard to score when you first go in," he continued.

"You don't get going very easily so the pressure is on when you first go in. You feel you're never going to score a run.

"As you get used to the ball spinning, you clip the one into the gap and get going again and everything seems a bit easier. That's just the way it is. You can't get to 20 very quickly in these conditions."