England v Pakistan: Joe Root hits 254 as hosts dominate at Old Trafford

Second Test, Old Trafford, day two:
England 589-8 dec: Root 254, Cook 105, Woakes 58, Bairstow 58
Pakistan 57-4: Woakes 3-18, Stokes 1-11
Pakistan trail by 532 runs
Scorecard

Joe Root made a career-best 254 and Chris Woakes took three wickets as England dominated Pakistan in the second Test at Old Trafford.

Root helped England declare on 589-8 before Pakistan crumbled to 57-4 on the second evening, trailing by 532.

Woakes, who made 58, removed Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and nightwatchman Rahat Ali in six overs late on.

Ben Stokes also had Younus Khan caught behind to put England - 1-0 down in the series - in a commanding position.

Lord's dismissals spurred me on - Root

Root raises the roof again

Unbeaten on 141 overnight, Root batted for more than 10 hours in total, facing 406 balls and hitting 27 fours, although Younus dropped a sharp low chance at slip off Yasir Shah on 155.

Root put on 113 with Woakes, 57 with Stokes and 106 in only 20 overs with Jonny Bairstow as England added 275 to their overnight total at more than four runs an over.

He was largely content to play the anchor role - it took him 23 deliveries to go from 190 to 200, reaching the milestone with a reverse-sweep off Yasir - before cutting loose either side of tea.

The leg-spinner, Pakistan's match-winner with 10 wickets at Lord's, finished with 1-213 from 54 overs.

Stokes hit five fours in his 34 before he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz following a Pakistan review, despite no apparent conclusive video evidence that he had gloved a pull.

Root eventually fell to a top-edged pull off Wahab Riaz, and Bairstow's dismissal shortly after prompted the declaration.

Woakes continues fine all-round form

Nightwatchman Woakes played a key role with the bat alongside Root, scoring freely on the second morning.

He hit the only six of the England innings - a superb upper-cut over third man off Mohammad Amir - before offering a tame return catch to Yasir.

But Woakes' most important contribution came with the ball, adding to his 11-wicket haul at Lord's with three early victims in Pakistan's reply.

He had Hafeez taken by Root at second slip in his first over and caught Azhar one-handed above his head off his own bowling.

After Younus Khan gloved Stokes down the leg side via his glove, Rahat fended a Woakes bouncer to short leg to cap a day of almost total England dominance.

'Pakistan are not going to save this match'

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott on Test Match Special: "The whole day was about England.

"Joe Root took centre stage. He's one of the best four or five players in the world - he'd get in any world XI. He was composed, orthodox, textbook - it was a very fine innings.

"Scoreboard pressure does funny things to people. Did Pakistan have the mental toughness to survive 24 overs? No.

"They are in trouble. They're not going to save the match. It will have to rain a lot if England are not to win."

Joe Root on TMS on England's reaction after Lord's: "It was really important we made a statement and response. The way we did that so far this game has been brilliant.

"Pakistan will keep looking at the scoreboard - they've got a big mountain to climb.

"There's a long way to go and until we've taken 16 more wickets we'll not be satisfied."

The stats you need to know

  • England's 589-8 declared is their second highest Test total against Pakistan, after last October's 598-9 dec in Abu Dhabi
  • Joe Root's 254 is the third highest score by an England number three in Tests, after Walter Hammond's 336 and Tom Graveney's 258
  • It is the third highest individual Test score at Old Trafford, behind Bobby Simpson's 311 and Ken Barrington's 256
  • It is also the third highest individual Test score for England against Pakistan, after Denis Compton's 278 and Alastair Cook's 263
  • Yasir Shah's 1-213 are the most expensive figures in a Test innings at Old Trafford