Between them, they plundered 75 runs in just nine overs on Monday before Cook called a halt.
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England’s Joe Root, promoted to number three for this series, was named man of the match after scoring 254 in the first innings and an unbeaten 71 off 48 balls in the second.
England’s runs have come instead largely from Cook and Root, and a highly capable lower middle order too when required.
England declared on 173 for one in the second innings leaving Pakistan 565 runs to win.
“One thing he does very well is keep the scoreboard ticking over, so blockers like me get carried away”, he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who bagged ten wickets for 141 in the opening Test at Lord’s, managed figures of mere one for 266 at Old Trafford.
Ben Stokes is expected to miss the remainder of the worldwide summer after scans confirmed the all-rounder tore his calf during the second Test victory against Pakistan.
An England spokesman said Stokes, returning to England duty this match after suffering a knee injury in the first Test against Sri Lanka in May, would take no further part in the days play.
As for Stokes, England can only hope for the best. However, it promises to be a much tighter affair than that witnessed at Old Trafford, with both teams still in with a fighting chance of victory in the series overall.
“We didn’t do that at Lord’s”. Pakistan were 66 for 2 when Stokes left the field before the man who finished his over, Moeen Ali, struck twice. “We came into this game under pressure but the guys delivered”. “To get 198 and 234 on a good pitch – you can’t take that”. Pakistan’s final match of the tour is a Twenty20 worldwide at Old Trafford on September 7. He said everyone knew that Pakistan team had a problem of producing consistent performances or relaxing after a win.
“It was a big difference”.
Mohammad Hafeez was 24 not out and Younis Khan, dropped in the slips, 12 not out.
Pakistan won the first match in the four-Test series by 75 runs at Lord’s. Along with Asad Shafiq, he fought hard to prolong the inevitable, but the Pakistan skipper chopped the ball onto his stumps just when the duo were set.
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“We talked about going big [after the defeat at Lord’s], that [from Root] was as good as I’ve seen”.
