The only other issue facing the selectors is the lack of productivity in the middle order below Joe Root and Cook – specifically from James Vince, who has yet to make a half-century in seven attempts so far in his maiden summer.
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“Clearly it was a good toss to win”.
And the 25-year-old Yorkshireman was relieved to respond with a career-high 254 in the first innings in Manchester, followed by a handy unbeaten 71 in England’s brief second spell at the crease as Cook declared again on 173-1.
“Ben will have an MRI scan and hopefully the scan will be a good one but he said he felt something go and it would be a big risk to play him at Edgbaston”.
Another former captain Muhammad Yousuf also lamented that the Pakistani batsmen just didn’t show the quality on a pitch on which it was inexcusable not to get a big score.
” Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah took 10 for 141 at Lord’s but only managed figures of one for 266 at Old Trafford”.
Misbah, at a loss to explain the discrepancy, said: “It was maybe tiredness, a lot of overs – I don’t know”.
“It was a big difference. But it was hard to come back from 600”.
Another concern for Pakistan was the form of openers Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood.
Pakistan have three “reserve batsmen” in their squad in Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Sami Aslam.
With Root, Cook and the bowlers on excellent form, England will now be very confident they can win the final two tests of the series at Edgbaston and The Oval. “At Old Trafford they made sure there was plenty of bounce in the surface”, he said. “It is an fantastic thing when you start to feel comfortable and you’ve got a few performances behind you”.
“Khan basically changed his decision as he didn’t want to upset the players before the third Test which could have a bearing on the team performances”, the source told PTI.
England dismissed Pakistan for 234 on Monday to win the second test by 330 runs with a day to spare and level the four-match series 1-1. The hosts added a quickfire 75 to their overnight 98 for one, with skipper Alastair Cook and Joe Root playing freely, before declaring to set Pakistan an unlikely victory target of 565.
The captain said: “England played him well, especially on the first and second day, when there wasn’t much help for him”.
England were dominating right from the word go, after setting a mammoth total of 589 for 8 in 1st innings, they made Pakistan fall on 198.
Since scoring 339 in the first innings of the entire series, Pakistan have yet to score more than 250.
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But England’s joy in levelling the four-match series at 1-1 was tempered by the sight of all-rounder Ben Stokes going off injured in Monday’s second session.
