Pakistan finish Day 2 at 57/4 after England declared on a mammoth 589/8.

By Abdullah Ansari (23rd July, 2016)

Toss: England won the toss, Alastair Cook chose to bat first.

Teams

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali.

England: AN Cook (c), AD Hales, JE Root, JM Vince, GS Ballance, BA Stokes, JM Bairstow (wk), MM Ali, CR Woakes, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson.

Pakistan began Day 2, hoping for a flurry of quick wickets that would allow them to restrict England, but it wasn't to be. England had other plans, with Chris Woakes batting very well and getting to a fifty. He was finally dismissed, caught and bowled by Yasir Shah who started bowling around the wicket into the rough. Joe Root, after a slow start to the day, started playing his shots.

Ben Stokes began cautiously but played a few shots, and it wasn't long before Root moved on to a 2nd double-hundred. However, Stokes was soon dismissed for 34, gloving the ball behind from a Wahab Riaz bouncer. He wasn't initially given out, with Sarfraz Ahmed the only one appealing. Pakistan reviewed, and after much deliberation, the third umpire ruled there was a nick. Jonny Bairstow was the new man, and the pair of him and Root batted cautiously through to Tea, with the crowd getting restless as the game meandered. However, after the resumption the two played their shots, with Root bringing up his 250 and getting dismissed soon after, going for a big shot off Wahab Riaz. Bairstow hit out as well as he reached his fifty, with England declaring as soon as he got out for 58; the total was a mammoth 589/8.

Pakistan began cautiously and negotiated the first 10 overs without much incident, barring a caught and bowled chance off Shan Masood that didn't carry. However, Chris Woakes came on and immediately caused problems, with Mohammad Hafeez soon nicking to slip for 18. Shan Masood looked a little more assured as time went on, but Azhar Ali didn't stick around for long as he became Woakes' 13th wicket of the series via a caught and bowled. Younis Khan came in next with Pakistan not opting for a night-watchman. The decision turned out to be a costly one, as he gloved a ball down the leg-side to the wicket-keeper off Ben Stokes. The night-watchman Rahat Ali finally came out, but didn't last long as he was bounced out by Chris Woakes, getting caught at short-leg. Shan Masood and Misbah-ul-Haq negotiated the last couple of overs as Pakistan finished at 57/4.

Summary: Another excellent day for England, who are well on top. Joe Root was excellent as he got to his first 250 in Test cricket, and attacking batting later took England to a huge score. Pakistan's batsmen were very poor; after a decent start, and surviving the new ball, more would have been expected of them, but they seemed to wilt in the face of scoreboard pressure. Tired legs would have also played a part. England will be looking to dismiss Pakistan soon, and if they can do so, we may even have a follow-on on the cards here.

Fall of wickets:

5-414 (Woakes, 113.4 ov)
6-471 (Stokes, 130.1 ov)
7-577 (Root, 150.2 ov)
8-589 (Bairstow, 152.2 ov)

1-27 (Mohammad Hafeez, 12.6 ov)
2-43 (Azhar Ali, 18.6 ov)
3-48 (Younis Khan, 21.3 ov)
4-53 (Rahat Ali, 22.5 ov)

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