FLAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT, COOKIE

reaching and eclipsing Pakistan’s 523-8 declared. “If you want to kill Test cricket then keep playing on these pitches,” added ‘Sir Beefy.’

“There is no balance between bat and ball – it is just a case of filling your boots with as many runs as you like. That is not the sort of game people will want to watch.

“Test cricket should be trying to attract people not tu turn them

away.”

Cook th though couldn’ couldn’t worry about that as he calmly collected anotheranot giant score to completecomple his set of Test tons in every country he has playedpla in. And, on 168 not out,ou there is more to be had.

So many records alreadyalrea belong to the England captain,captai but the fact only he and JacquesJacq Kallis as non-Asians have scoreds as many as eight Test tonston in Asia

If you want to kill Test cricket then keep playing on

these pitches

will please him hugely. And in an era when success away from home is so hard to come by, for Cook to have scored 16 of his hundreds outside of England speaks volumes for his ability and his adaptability.

“It has been tough physically, but I’m pleased to have got through when I was a bit tired,” said Cook.

“It is a different style of cricket out here on slow low wickets.

“But if you can bat to your style of game and be patient, and just take the odd calculated risk, you can bat for a long time.

“We had to bat ourselves back into the game and whether the pitch will break up, who knows.”

Cook did not put a foot wrong until he had made 147 and top-edged a sweep to deep square leg where sub fielder Fawad Alam dropped him.

Ian Bell had also been dropped at silly point when he had made one – a score he remained on for 30 balls before finding a way to reach his highest score in the UAE of 63.

“It was a bit slow and when you start it isn’t easy but it got easier as the innings wore on,” said Bell.

“I’m gutted I’m not there to cash in and go bigger.

“But I’ve scored more runs in this innings than I did on the whole tour last time!”