Root masterclass squares up series
Alastair COOK praised his side’s character after they bounced back from their humbling defeat at lord’s to thrash Pakistan by 330 runs in the second investec test in Manchester.
some of the gloss was taken off England’s victory by another injury to all-rounder Ben stokes, who may now miss next week’s crucial third test at Edgbaston after he pulled up clutching his calf.
But Cook looked both relieved and elated after England completed a win that puts them back on track to complete a full house of test trophies against the nine other nations.
‘if we play like that, we’re a hard side to beat,’ he said after Pakistan were bowled out for 234 on the fourth afternoon. ‘We came into the game under a bit of pressure, but we showed real character after what happened at lord’s.
‘We scored nearly 800 runs for only nine wickets, and took 20 of their wickets for around 400 runs. the toss was important, without a doubt, but getting ahead of the game against Pakistan is crucial. Now we have to keep those standards.’
Cook, who made 105 and 76 not out in a game England dominated from the start, declined to refer to his side’s series-levelling win as ‘revenge’ for Pakistan’s 75-run triumph in the first test.
But he admitted: ‘this was us showing the true standard of cricket we can play. We didn’t do that at lord’s. to put right our batting, bowling and fielding — apart from one poor catch — in this game was pleasing.’
that was a reference to the catch Cook himself dropped at first slip after stokes induced an edge from Younis Khan shortly before lunch on the fourth afternoon. and it would prove stokes’ last chance to get on the scorecard — in his third over after lunch, he pulled up sharply, before limping off with a calf niggle.
a scan today will determine whether he can take part in the third test at Edgbaston, though England will feel that all they need to keep Pakistan down is another pitch that brings their seamers into the game.
as Cook put it: ‘He plays on the edge and gives us an edge. He never takes a backward step and drags people with him. if he’s not there at Edgbaston, he’ll be a big miss.
‘it’s too early to say, but stokesy’s a pretty tough nut and he said he felt something go.
‘We know if we get a bit of pace and bounce in the wicket, it does suit our bowlers,’ said Cook.
‘But even at lord’s, they didn’t get away from us. We feel we have some good momentum there.’
Meanwhile, the England captain admitted he was bemused to learn of the furore surrounding his decision not to enforce the followon on sunday afternoon.
‘i was a little bit surprised when i got home that night to see the amount of controversy it seemed to have caused,’ he said.
‘We’d bowled 60-odd overs and had a couple of guys coming back from injury.
‘i wanted to pile on a few more runs, and give them a bit more time, then get them to bowl hard again today.’
it could hardly have been more comprehensive had Cook enforced the follow-on. Pakistan, so jubilant at lord’s, managed only 107 runs more between them than Joe root scored on his own in this thoroughly one-sided second test.
it is hard to fault any aspect of England’s performance, from the sublime batting of root and Cook to the mastery of Jimmy anderson and his new apprentice in the form of the self-effacing sensation that is Chris Woakes.
He has been superb since coming into the side after stokes was injured in the first test against sri lanka, and he had the final word when he claimed his seventh wicket of the match just as rain clouds started to gather in Manchester.
But it was root who will be forever associated with this test. the boy wonder turned senior statesman scored 325 runs in the match, the fifth most in a test by any England player, claimed four first innings catches and even took the wicket of Wahab riaz with his second ball yesterday as Pakistan threatened to hold England up.
if root’s first innings 254 was a near perfect display of test batting then he switched to twenty20 mode yesterday to hurry England towards a declaration that left Pakistan more than 11 hours to survive. they could not manage five.
Pakistan’s captain Misbahul-Haq was characteristically philosophical after seeing his side go from their lord’s zenith to something significantly less inspiring in Manchester.
‘England played really well,’ he said. ‘the toss was really vital on this pitch, but, after that, Cook and root took the game away from us, and it was difficult to come back in the game.
‘Our batting was a big disappointment. that was a good pitch to bat on, but scores of 198 and 200-something — you can’t take that on a pitch like that.’ But Misbah warned that Pakistan could yet exploit England’s dependence on the runs of Cook and root, who scored 503 between them in this game.
‘they mainly depend on that, because others are not in great nick,’ he said. ‘root got out cheaply in both innings at lord’s, and that was the difference. But root’s 254 was an amazing innings.’
it’s 1-1, but the advantage now lies firmly with England.
“This was us showing our true standard”