Pakistan were a mammoth 470 runs behind England’s first-innings 589 for 8 declared and on the verge of being made to follow on.
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Cook, who won the toss and elected to bat on easy-paced wicket, hit 15 fours in almost four hours as both batsmen negated Pakistan’s spin threat of Yasir Shah, who is still seeking his first wicket after bowling 18 overs.
Asked why the visitors were not put back in to bat, he said: “It’s pretty simple from our point of view”.
Root said: “Ottis came to me and said: ‘If you ever get bored of batting take a deep breath and start again.’ That’s what I thought about all innings”.
Root, who got dismissed twice during Pakistan’s 75-run win in the opening Test at Lord’s, revealed he had worked really hard on his shortcomings and chose to score big in the second game.
“It could have gone either way, but I think it’s the right decision and hopefully we’ll be proven right”.
On parity with the great Australian, he said: “I can’t really compare that, when he did it in half the games or even less.so it’s just nice to get past 28”. Pakistan was a bowler short after Wahab Riaz couldn’t come onto the field after sustaining an injury while batting. “We were nicking off that “fifth stump” line a lot, which was particularly disappointing”, the South African added.
Earlier England were 210 for two heading into the final session of the first day of the second cricket Test. Cook, who won the toss, was out for 105 off what became the last ball before tea when he was bowled off an under-edge by an Amir delivery that kept low.
Arthur does not dispute that, but was relieved Pakistan did not have to bat again straightaway.
Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s bowling coach, believes that Yasir Shah struggled with the expectation of backing up his matchwinning display at Lord’s on the opening day of the second Test. But with Cook opting against using the experienced new ball duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad after lunch, Pakistan added 79 runs in the second session. Pakistan was now 71 for 5, its total at the rain break.
By contrast it took Misbah 47 balls to score the first boundary of his innings, a square-drive off Anderson.
Woakes, who took 11 wickets in defeat at Lord’s, saw his first over Sunday cost 11 runs as Sarfraz hit two well-struck boundaries.
So too were England, after Stokes had an out-of-sorts Younus caught down the leg-side and then Woakes himself found a short ball too good for an authentic but unsuccessful nightwatchman in Rahat.
Ali soon followed it up with the wicket of Riaz, who played a handy knock laced with five fours and a six.
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Mohammad Amir, another of Pakistan’s left-arm quicks, was uppercut for six high over third man by Woakes.
