Misbah-ul-Haq (114) and Sarfraz Ahmed threatened to give England a headache in the first half-hour of an increasingly cloudy morning, before both went in a burst of three wickets for six runs in eight balls.
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In the process, the captain etched his name in history books and on the Lord’s honours board with his 10th Test century – also his maiden three-figure milestone in England, all formats put together.
Yasir Shah became the first legspinner in 20 years to grab a five-wicket haul at Lord’s as Pakistan limited England to 253-7 on the second day of the first test on Friday.
It was a similar story when Cook, now on 55, again edged Amir but wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, going slightly to his left, floored the two-handed chance.
Misbah equalled West Indies great Vivian Richards’s then world record for the fastest-ever Test century with a blistering 56-ball hundred against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014 – a mark surpassed by Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball hundred for New Zealand against Australia at Christchurch in February.
Cook appeared to be cruising, becoming the first England captain to score 4,000 Test runs, only to aim a big drive at a wide one from Amir and play on.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir bowls his first ball of the match during day two of the Test match at Lord’s, London, Friday July 15, 2016. The young pacer opened his account in Test cricket with a flawless yorker that had Azhar tumbling over and getting struck on the front toe in line for a leg before wicket decision.
Moeen Ali was Shah’s fifth victim when he was adjudged lbw, perhaps unluckily, as his review showed the ball just clipping leg stump.
Misbah and Younis led the recovery with the first half-century stand of the day but Pakistan’s joy was short-lived. Broad took three for 71 in 27.2 overs.
Misbah was still there at the end of Day 1, unbeaten on 110 with Pakistan at 282/6. Another reverse sweep off Ali took him to 99.
What made the fact it was Cook who was twice reprieved off his bowling all the more poignant, was that the England skipper had said that if it was down to him, all fixers, including Amir, would be banned for life.
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He sent a lovely ball veering past the edge of the incoming Riaz’s bat, before splaying the stumps with his next delivery to send the batsman back to the pavilion with a duck.
