But it was Yasir, also on the comeback trail in his first worldwide appearance following a three-month doping ban, who ensured England’s weaknesses were exposed as they were reduced to 253 for seven in reply to 339. Pakistan began the morning with Sarfraz joining Misbah, batting on 110 after the 42-year-old became the oldest player in 82 years to make a Test century on Thursday. Misbah-ul-Haq (114) batted with caution while Sarfraz Ahmed (25) struck four boundaries in his 29-ball stay at the crease.
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Chris Woakes, who was the pick of the bowlers yesterday, continued where he left off to write his name on the famous honours board with 6-70. Much of the focus ahead of the series opener centered around Mohammad Amir and his return to Test cricket at Lord’s, where he was implicated for spot-fixing in 2010, and was handed a five-year ban and a jail term.
Misbah only added four to his overnight 110 not out before he was bowled by Stuart Broad. Pakistan were bowled out for 339 in 99.2 overs.
The innings started with a handsome delivery shaping away by Rahat Ali who got the edge of Alex Hales.
Cook, on 22, added an immediate insult to injury by clipping the next ball off his pads for four as he and Root sought a foothold.
The England captain joined hands with Root (48) and the pair counterattacked taking England to 64 for one at the lunch interval.
Instead, Cook’s partnership with Root endured beyond mid-afternoon. Four overs later, Cook was dropped again, this time by the wicket-keeper. Root, in his first innings replacing Nick Compton at No. 3, looked at something like his dynamic best before trying slightly too hard to force the pace and top-edging a slog-sweep to be taken at midwicket two short of a half-century.
James Vince (16) failed to capitalise on his start and became Shah’s second victim when he was trapped lbw.
Early in the final session, Amir finally saw the back of Cook, who edged a delivery onto his stumps in the 26th over.
Vince fell to a variation ball that skidded on, leaving him still searching for his first substantial Test innings, and Ballance’s first attempt at this level since last summer ended prematurely when he pushed forward and missed a leg-break.
Earlier, England captain Alastair Cook made 81 and in the process surpassed India great Sunil Gavaskar as the highest run-scoring opening batsman in Test history.
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“He took five wickets, and full credit to him, but we are also disappointed with a couple of the dismissals, particularly Cooky [to Mohamad Amir] and Rooty”. The last leg-spinner who achieved the feat previously was Pakistan’s current bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed.
