Root takes England past 500 against Pakistan

Joe Root’s unbeaten double century took England to 533 for six at tea on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Root, who had batted for 10 hours, was a Test-best 226 not out. That meant the England vice-captain had surpassed his previous highest score at this level of 200 not out against Sri Lanka at Lord’s two years ago. Root’s Yorkshire colleague Jonny Bairstow was 32 not out.

England resumed on their overnight 314 for four, with Root 141 not out after he had shared a second-wicket stand of 185 with skipper and fellow senior batsman Alastair Cook (105). But although sent in as a nightwatchman, Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes showed his batting class during a boundary-filled fifty on Saturday.

Woakes was the dominant partner in a fifth-wicket stand of 103 with Root. Two not out overnight, Woakes -- who has scored nine first-class hundreds -- was soon demonstrating a fundamentally orthodox batting technique.

When Rahat Ali, one of Pakistan’s trio of left-arm quicks along with Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, dropped short, he was cut for four by Woakes. 

Score Board: England 1st Innings (overnight: 314-4) A Cook b Amir 105 A Hales b Amir 10 J Root not out 226 J Vince c Sarfraz b Rahat 18 G Ballance b Rahat 23 C Woakes c and b Yasir 58 B Stokes c Sarfraz b Wahab 34 J Bairstow not out 32 Extras (LB-9, W-8, NB-10) 27 Total (For 6 wkts in 146 overs) 533 Bowling: Amir 29-6-89-2; Rahat 29-4-101-2; Riaz 25-1-102-1; Shah 52-6-193-1; Azhar 10-0-36-0; Masood 1-0-3-0.