Root’s double maintains England’s serene progress

England 533 for 6 (Root 226*, Bairstow 32*) v PakistanScorecard and ball-by-ball details

Joe Root, having put his Test summer back on course on the opening day of the Old Trafford Test, extended his virtuoso performance past 200 on the second as England sought to pile up an impregnable first innings score against Pakistan.

By tea, Root was 226 not out, securing another double century to add to the one he made against Sri Lanka at Lord’s two years ago. He began the Test having converted only one of his last 10 Test half-centuries into hundreds and he was in the mood to make someone pay. Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, has already congratulated him for his longevity of his innings at least three times.

Root has reined in the more inventive side of his game in this Test and he also benefited from two moments of fortune before lunch – the sort of luck he had complained in the build-up to the Test that he had been lacking.

On 143, he botched a pull against Mohammad Amir, the sort of stroke that caused his downfall at Lord’s, but the ball fell short of the fielder. Root and Amir smiled as if sharing a private joke. Then on 159, an edge against the legspinner Yasir Shah died just in front of Younis Khan at slip, somewhat assisted by Younis’ stiff-backed response.

But the overriding impression was of a batsman of undoubted class and sure touch who had once again attuned himself to the rhythm and demands of Test cricket. Ironically, his 200 was brought up by his creative moment, whipping a reverse sweep against Yasir to the third man boundary. He had been at the crease for eight-and-three-quarter hours and faced 355 balls.

Pakistan will be increasingly concerned over the workload being undertaken …

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