#ENGvPAK: Cook’s main weapon to miss 3rd Test against Pakistan

Alastair Cook left England 185 overs to bowl out Pakistan as he set the tourists an entirely notional world-record 565 to win the second Investec Test.

This was England’s fifth-biggest Test win in terms of runs.

The four-match series between England and Pakistan is locked at 1-1.

England, who lost the first test at Lord’s by 75 runs, bounced back with a huge first-innings total of 589 for eight declared.

“Alastair Cook has his reasons”, Arthur said.

The only other issue facing the selectors is the lack of productivity in the middle order below Joe Root and Cook – specifically from James Vince, who has yet to make a half-century in seven attempts so far in his maiden summer. It was an extraordinary innings where I don’t think he gave a chance up.

Vaughan said: “England should enjoy the win and have a good party, but I just have a feeling that this series is going to be very, very tight”.

“Cook and [Joe] Root took the game away from us, full credit to them, but we were nowhere near them. We will know a lot more tomorrow morning but the good thing is he is walking around now”, said Cook.

“We were below average, and we need to improve in every department”.

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

A scan revealed the extent of Stokes’s injury and the 25-year-old’s fitness will be reviewed by the England medical team next week, with the squad assembling in Birmingham on Monday.

Younis, recklessly trying to loft Ali over the top, was caught at long-on.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq smashed Moeen for a six and played aggressively for his 35 before he was bowled by Chris Woakes off an inside edge just before tea. After an hour’s rain stoppage, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (26) and Yasir Shah were all out to reduce Pakistan to 119-8 by lunch.

He couldn’t compete with the strike-rate of Root, though, who reached his joint-fastest fifty off 38 balls – milking the attack and deploying the slog-sweep and switch-hit to damaging effect.

Pakistan were then 208 for nine.

Both Anderson and Woakes took 3 for 41, with Moeen bagging 3 for 88.