England rout Pakistan to level series as Stokes limps off

Published July 26, 2016
MANCHESTER: England paceman James Anderson celebrates after dismissing Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq during the second Test at Old Trafford on Monday.—Reuters
MANCHESTER: England paceman James Anderson celebrates after dismissing Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq during the second Test at Old Trafford on Monday.—Reuters

MANCHESTER: James Ande­rson marked his return to international duty with three wickets as England beat Pakistan by a massive 330 runs to win the second Test at his Old Trafford home ground on Monday.

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.

Chasing a mammoth 565 for victory, Pakistan found batting no easier second time round and were dismissed for 234 in the final session as England levelled the four-match series at 1-1.

“It’s quite nice to bounce back and play like that,” said captain Alastair Cook. “You have to consign the last Test to the bin. “Joe Root’s performance, stepping up to number three in the order from four, was so controlled. We all know what a world-class player he is, he didn’t put a foot wrong.”

England’s Joe Root, who made a Test-best 254 in a mammoth first innings 589 for eight declared, was named man-of-the-match. This was England’s fifth-biggest Test win in terms of runs.

The first innings also saw Cook make 105 — his 29th Test hundred.

England’s two senior batsmen combined again in a second-innings total of 173 for one declared.

Left-handed opener Cook made 76 not out and vice-captain Root 71 not out, with the duo putting on 105 for the second wicket before the skipper called a halt on Monday morning.

Anderson returning to Test cricket after missing Pakistan’s 75-run win in the first Test at Lord’s with a shoulder injury, then struck twice to remove both Shan Masood (one) and Azhar Ali (eight).

But with Pakistan on the ropes, England saw Stokes injure himself while bowling.

After delivering his second ball of the 22nd over, with Pakistan 68 for two, the Durham pace bowler pulled up with a right calf strain and left the field.

An England spokesman said the 25-year-old Stokes, playing his first international match after suffering a knee injury in the first Test against Sri Lanka in May, would undergo a scan on Tuesday to determine the full extent of the injury.

Off-spinner Moeen Ali, completing the over, was then hit for six by Mohammad Hafeez.

Two balls later Moeen bowled a no-ball full toss that sailed above Hafeez’s head.

Moeen, however, regained his composure to dismiss both Hafeez (42) and Younis Khan (28).

Hafeez gave a simple bat/pad catch to Gary Ballance at short leg.

Pakistan’s 83 for three became 102 for four when Younis, trying to loft Moeen over the top, was caught at long-on.

It was a reckless shot from such an experienced player given that Pakistan needed to bat time to escape with a draw and that there was man deep in the field waiting for a chance.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH Joe Root carries a stump as he leaves the pitch after England’s 330-run win against Pakistan.—AFP
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH Joe Root carries a stump as he leaves the pitch after England’s 330-run win against Pakistan.—AFP

Younis was let-off before lunch when he was dropped in the slips by Cook off Stokes, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq also needlessly chanced his arm in hitting Moeen for six.

But having made a patient 52 in Pakistan’s meagre first innings 198, Misbah was unlucky to fall to Chris Woakes for 35 when he dragged a full toss onto his stumps.

“This is a big disappointment for us,” said Misbah. “We could have scored around 400 in the first innings [instead of 198], the ball wasn’t doing anything much.

“We are short of confidence and shot selection really cost us. These guys are strong characters though, mentally strong, and I’m hopeful that everybody is hurt and they will really work hard.”

Pakistan were 161 for five at tea and three balls later that became 163 for six when Sarfraz Ahmed was caught down the leg-side by opposing wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow off Woakes.

Asad Shafiq made a painstaking 39 before he was lbw to Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker.

Yasir Shah (10), missing with a careless pull, was plumb lbw to Moeen.

Root took England to the brink of victory when the part-time off-spinner struck second ball to have Wahab Riaz caught off a top-edged sweep by Cook.

Pakistan were then 208 for nine.

Tailender Mohammad Amir delayed the inevitable with several fine shots, including a flowing extra-cover drive for four off Moeen before he holed out off Woakes.

Both Anderson and Woakes took three for 41, with Moeen bagging three for 88.

England resumed on Monday on 98 for one, already a huge lead of 489 runs after Cook opted against enforcing the follow-on on Sunday.

Cook and Root then plundered a further 75 runs in just nine overs before the declaration.

Leg-spinner Yasir, the world’s number one ranked Test, took 10 wickets at Lord’s. But at Old Trafford he returned expensive figures of one for 266.The third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham starts on Aug 3.—Agencies

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 589-8 declared

(J.E. Root 254, A.N. Cook 105, C.R. Woakes 58, J.M. Bairstow 58; Wahab Riaz 3-106).

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 198 (Misbah-ul-Haq 52; C.R. Woakes 4-67).

ENGLAND (2nd Innings, overnight 98-1):

A.N. Cook not out 76

A.D. Hales c Sarfraz b Amir 24

J.E. Root not out 71

EXTRAS (LB-2) 2

TOTAL (for one wkt decl, 30 overs) 173

FALL OF WKT: 1-68.

BOWLING: Mohammad Amir 11-2-43-1; Rahat Ali 8-0-54-0; Yasir Shah 9-0-53-0; Azhar Ali 2-0-21-0.

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings):

Mohammad Hafeez c Ballance b Moeen 42

Shan Masood c Cook b Anderson 1

Azhar Ali lbw b Anderson 8

Younis Khan c Hales b Moeen 28

Misbah-ul-Haq b Woakes 35

Asad Shafiq lbw b Anderson 39

Sarfraz Ahmed c Bairstow b Woakes 7

Yasir Shah lbw b Moeen 10

Wahab Riaz c Cook b Root 19

Mohammad Amir c Broad b Woakes 29

Rahat Ali not out 8

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-4, W-1, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (all out, 70.3 overs) 234

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-25, 3-83, 4-102, 5-145, 6-163, 7-167, 8-190, 9-208.

BOWLING: Anderson 16-2-41-3; Broad 14-3-37-0; Stokes 5.2-0-21-0 (1w); Moeen Ali 18.4-1-88-3 (1nb); Woakes 15.3-2-41-3; Root 1-1-0-1.

RESULT: England won by 330 runs.

SUPER SERIES: England 4 pts Pakistan 4 pts.

UMPIRES: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R.J. Tucker (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: J.S. Wilson (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: R.B. Richardson (West Indies).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Joe Root.

FIRST TES: Lord’s, Pakistan won by 75 runs.

THIRD TEST: Edgbaston, Aug 3-7.

FOURTH TEST: The Oval, Aug 11-15.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016

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