ENGLAND OPT AGAINST FOLLOW-ON
MANCHESTER: England captain Alastair Cook decided against enforcing the follow-on against Pakistan despite a mammoth first-innings lead in the second Test at Old Trafford on Sunday. Pakistan were dismissed for just 198 in reply to England’s huge 589 for eight declared — a deficit of 391 runs. England had the fifth biggest first-innings lead without enforcing the follow-on in Test history. Cook’s decision, with England 1-0 down in the four-match series, seemed all the more curious given rain had stopped play for an hour earlier on Sunday.
BRIEF SCORES: England 589/8 decl. & 11/0 (A Cook 9 batting) v Pakistan 198 (Misbah-ul-Haq 52, Wahab Riaz 39; Ali 2/43, Woakes 4/67, Stokes 2/39) At tea