Joe Root’s masterful 254 and three early wickets for Chris Woakes put England in a commanding position on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan in Manchester yesterday.
Root, who batted for more than 10 hours, struck 27 fours in his highest Test score to lead the hosts to 589 for eight declared and Pakistan’s top order crumbled as they limped to 57 for four at the close.
England, 1-0 down in the series, had resumed in the morning on 314 for four and nightwatchman Woakes dominated the early strike, peppering the boundary with crisp drives and cuts.
Root went past 150 for the fifth time in his Test career but he did offer one chance which was spilled by Younis Khan at slip off leg-spinner Yasir Shah.
Woakes continued his fine run of form, hitting eight fours and a six on the way to his second test half-century before he poked a return catch to Shah and departed for 58.
Ben Stokes, returning to the side after injury, made a fluent 34, including five fours, and shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 57 with Root who went past 200 with a perfectly executed reverse sweep off Shah.
Stokes nicked a catch down the leg-side to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Wahab Riaz which was given out after a lengthy review but Jonny Bairstow kept up the momentum with a busy 58. Root’s long vigil ended when he skied Riaz to Mohamed Hafeez running in from deep mid-wicket and the right-hander left the arena to a standing ovation.
England captain Alastair Cook declared soon afterwards and Hafeez and Shan Masood safely negotiated a probing opening spell by James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
But Woakes struck in his first over, Hafeez (18) nicking a low catch to Root at second slip, and the all-rounder caught and bowled Azhar Ali for one.
Stokes had Younis caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Bairstow for one and nightwatchman Rahat Ali popped a short ball from Woakes to short leg.

SCOREBOARD
England 1st Innings (overnight: 314-4)
A. Cook b Mohamed Amir    105
A. Hales b Mohamed Amir    10
J. Root c M Hafeez b W Riaz              254
 J. Vince c Sarfraz Ahmed b Ali     18
 G. Ballance b Rahat Ali         23
 C. Woakes c and b Yasir Shah     58
 B. Stokes c Sarfraz b Wahab Riaz     34
 J. Bairstow c Misbah b Wahab Riaz     58
 M. Ali not out         2
Extras (lb9, w8, nb10) 27
Total (8 wkts dec, 152.2 overs, 657 mins) 589
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Hales), 2-210 (Cook), 3-238 (Vince), 4-311 (Ballance), 5-414 (Woakes), 6-471 (Stokes), 7-577 (Root), 8-589 (Bairstow)
Bowling: Amir 29-6-89-2 (2w); Rahat 29-4-101-2 (2w); Riaz 26.2-1-106-3 (9nb, 4w); Shah 54-6-213-1; Azhar 11-0-52-0; Masood 3-0-19-0 (1nb)

Pakistan 1st Innings
 Mohamed Hafeez c Root b Woakes 18
 Shan Masood not out         30
 Azhar Ali c and b Woakes     1
 Younis Khan c Bairstow b Stokes     1
 Rahat Ali c Ballance b Woakes     4
 Misbah-ul-Haq not out         1
 Extras (lb1, nb1) 2
Total (4 wkts, 24 overs, 107 mins) 57
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Hafeez), 2-43 (Azhar), 3-48 (Younis), 4-53 (Rahat)
Bowling: Anderson 6-3-7-0; Broad 5-2-9-0; Ali 3-0-11-0 (1nb); Woakes 6-0-18-3; Stokes 4-0-11-1
Match position: Pakistan are 532 runs behind with six first-innings wickets standing.