England in command at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER: Alastair Cook and Joe Root made centuries to lift England to a commanding 314-4 at the close on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan yesterday.

The pair shared a smooth second-wicket partnership of 185 in excellent batting conditions at Old Trafford to frustrate the Pakistanis, who won the first Test at Lord’s.

Cook was bowled by Mohammad Amir for 105 on the stroke of tea but Root continued to flay the tiring attack to all corners of the ground and finished unbeaten on 141, with Chris Woakes on 2 not out.

Pakistan started well after losing the toss when fast bowler Amir bowled Alex Hales for 10 with a rapid full-pitched delivery.

Cook and Root carried the hosts to 95-1 at lunch, and the skipper, mixing watchful defence with crisp drives and cuts that brought him 15 fours, calmly advanced to his 29th Test hundred and first of the year.

It was a surprise when Amir produced a ball that kept low and crashed into Cook’s stumps off the bottom of the bat.

Root also looked in excellent touch after his recent barren patch and went to his 10th Test century by clipping spinner Yasir Shah to the midwicket boundary, one of his 18 fours.

James Vince played some well-timed strokes on his way to 18 but, as so often before in his fledgling Test career, he was undone by a full ball outside off stump and edged Rahat Ali to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Gary Ballance then made a careful 23 before he chopped a lifting ball from Rahat on to his stumps.

• Virat Kohli made history with his first double century as India built a seemingly unassailable lead, 404-4 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua yesterday.

Kohli became the first man from India to compile a Test double century overseas when he pulled a single to deep midwicket just before the break in North Sound.

He lowered himself to his knees and kissed the turf as retired batting great Viv Richards, after whom the stadium is named, joined in the applause from the stands.

Kohli was 200 not out off 281 balls at lunch, with Ravichandran Ashwin on 64 as the pair added 102 without loss in the opening session.

West Indies took the new ball at the start of play, but pacemen Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel could not make a breakthrough.

By the time lunch arrived the Test was virtually out of reach for the home team, who perhaps paid the price for loading their line-up with batsmen, thus reducing the bowling options available to the captain, Holder.

The match is the first of four Tests between the teams in the Caribbean. – Reuters