England ease past Pakistan to draw level

James Anderson marked his return to international duty with three wickets as England beat Pakistan by a massive 330 runs to win the second Test at his Old Trafford home ground yesterday.
Pakistan, set a mammoth 565 for victory, were bowled out for 234 in their second innings after tea on the fourth day.
This was England’s fifth-biggest Test win in terms of runs.
But England’s joy in levelling the four-match series at 1-1 was tempered by the sight of all-rounder Ben Stokes going off injured in yesterday’s second session.
England’s Joe Root, who made a Test-best 254 in a mammoth first innings 589 for eight declared, was named man-of-the-match.
The first innings also saw England captain Alastair Cook make 105 — his 29th Test hundred.
England’s two senior batsmen combined again in a second-innings total of 173 for one declared.
Left-handed opener Cook made 76 not out and vice-captain Root 71 not out, with the duo putting on 105 for the second wicket before the skipper called a halt yesterday morning.
 “Joe’s was an extraordinary innings,” said Cook at the presentation ceremony. This series has seen Root move up the order to number three and Cook added: “It was the logical step to get our best batter to bat at three. Disappointed Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said his side had been outplayed.
“Full credit to England — they won a good toss and Cook and Root took the game away from us.
 “We have to improve in every department.”
Anderson, returning to Test cricket after missing Pakistan’s 75-run win in the first Test at Lord’s with a shoulder injury, then struck twice to remove both Shan Masood (one) and Azhar Ali (eight).
 But with Pakistan on the ropes, England saw Stokes injure himself while bowling.
Two ball into the 22nd over of the innings, his sixth, the Durham pace bowler pulled up with a right calf strain and left the field.
An England spokesman said the 25-year-old Stokes, playing his first international match after suffering a knee injury in the first Test against Sri Lanka in May, would undergo a scan today to determine the full extent of the injury.
 Off-spinner Moeen Ali, completing the over, was then hit for six by Mohamed Hafeez. Ali, however, regained his composure to dismiss both Hafeez (42) and Younis Khan (28).


OLD TRAFFORD SCORECARD

England 1st Innings:  589-8 dec (J Root 254, A Cook 105, C Woakes 58, J Bairstow 58; Wahab Riaz 3-106)
Pakistan 1st Innings: 198 (Misbah-ul-Haq 52; C Woakes 4-67)
England 2nd Innings:  (overnight: 98-1)
A. Cook not out     76
A. Hales c Sarfraz Ahmed b M. Amir     24
J. Root not out     71
Extras:  (lb2)     2
Total:  (1 wkt dec, 30 overs, 126 mins) 173
Did not bat: J Vince, G Ballance, C Woakes, B Stokes, J Bairstow, M Ali, S Broad, J Anderson
Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Hales)
Bowling: Amir 11-2-43-1; Rahat 8-0-54-0; Shah 9-0-53-0; Azhar 2-0-21-0
Pakistan 2nd Innings: (target: 565)
 Mohamed Hafeez c Ballance b Ali     42
 Shan Masood c Cook b Anderson     1
 Azhar Ali lbw b Anderson     8
 Younis Khan c Hales b Ali     28
 Misbah-ul-Haq b Woakes     35
 Asad Shafiq lbw b Anderson     39
 Sarfraz Ahmed c Bairstow b Woakes     7
 Yasir Shah lbw b Ali     10
 Wahab Riaz c Cook b Root     19
 Mohamed Amir c Broad b Woakes     29
 Rahat Ali not out     8
Extras: (b2, lb4, w1, nb1)     8
Total (all out, 70.3 overs, 293 mins)     234
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Masood), 2-25 (Azhar), 3-83 (Hafeez), 4-102 (Younis), 5-145 (Misbah), 6-163 (Sarfraz), 7-167 (Shafiq), 8-190 (Yasir), 9-208 (Wahab), 10-234 (Amir)
Bowling: Anderson 16-2-41-3; Broad 14-3-37-0; Stokes 5.2-0-21-0 (1w); Ali 18.4-1-88-3 (1nb); Woakes 15.3-2-41-3; Root 1-1-0-1
Result: England won by 330 runs