In the process, Root, who had started the day on 141, became only the second England batsman to score a double-century at Old Trafford, after Ken Barrington’s 256 against Australia in 1964. But when Amir, who appeared to be struggling with a niggling injury, dropped short outside off stump, Woakes uppercut him for six high over third man. Meanwhile a single off Rahat saw Root to 150 in 269 balls including 18 fours.
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Stokes had some fortune, depositing a mis-sweep at Yasir safely on 25, but less perhaps when Wahab Riaz had him caught-behind after overturning a caught-behind decision off the glove via an extensive DRS procedure.
Each admitted the need to practise what he had preached, after England’s shock 75-run defeat at Lord’s in the first match of four. Skipper Misbah stood at the other end along with Masood.
Amir, who took the last wicket in Pakistan’s win in the first of this four-Test series, saw his first and second deliveries edged through gully for four by Cook.
In four Test innings at Old Trafford, he has plundered 352 runs at an average of more than 117.
England knew they had to bowl with intensity to be successful on this wonderful batting pitch and Woakes and Stokes hit the deck hard, delivering short balls and late-moving fuller deliveries.
Amir had Hales dropped in the gully on six by Asad Shafiq.
3 – Only Denis Compton (278) and Alastair Cook (263) have scored more than Root’s 254, which is incidentally the third-highest score by an English batsman against Pakistan.
They waited to pick off his half-volleys and long-hops, which admittedly were more frequently offered up by Yasir here than they were at Lord’s, and the left/right-handed combination disrupted his rhythm by constantly rotating the strike.
With Pakistan given 24 overs to bat, England hit back emphatically as Woakes grabbed two wickets before the returning Stokes got his first.
Top-ranked test leg-spinner Yasir Shah made an unwelcome double century of his own, finishing on 1-213, the most runs conceded by a bowler at Old Trafford after England resumed overnight on 314-4.
The Warwickshire all-rounder was the dominant partner in a fifth-wicket stand of 103 with Root. He did however manage to find the fence to bring up his hundred, pumping the air in celebration after driving Yasir through the on-side in the final session.
The scoreboard pressure exerted by England’s mammoth total was always going to be enormous and after their four breakthroughs in the evening, Cook and his team will be confident of winning this match even if the next two days of this match are interrupted by forecast rain in Manchester. Pakistan are still trailing by 532 runs with six wickets remaining from second day’s play. It’s the type of taunt that was expected prior to this series but wasn’t particularly forthcoming from the polite patrons at Lord’s.
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Amir provided Pakistan some hope at the stroke of tea when he dismissed Cook and came close to claiming James Vince (18) soon after the break but Younis Khan grassed a regulation catch at second slip.
