Ok here we,England badly need to win to level the series. Anderson and Stokes will both come back in after injuries,but will Rashid come in and for who ? Probably not,meaning Ali,Vince and Ballance will all retain their places. Anderson and Stokes will make the bowling stronger,but the batting still looks weak to me. It's gonna be up to the usual suspects to put the runs on the board ! Come on England.
Time for Root to get his big scoring head on, and Stokes and Bairstow to add a lot of quick runs a bit later. The rest just seem to occupy the crease most of the time.
Bowlers took 20 wickets for less than 550 runs at lords - while the batsman let England down. So naturally the batting is unchanged and two bowlers are dropped.
I know it's baffling,can't believe Ali keeps his place infront of Rashid.With the extra batting of Stokes,you'd have thought we'd have the best spinner available in the side,but we go with Ali again.Bemusing and infuriating !
Excellent first session from Cook and Root,95 -1 at lunch. These 2 have to push on and consolidate,we've got to get at least 400 in this innings and my faith in the middle order isn't great.Apart from Amir swinging the ball,there doesn't look a great deal in the wicket for the bowlers !
Skip gone for 105.....Root closing in on 100 and Vince dropped on 6.........looks like a decent batting track, need to get close to 500 and try to get a few from their top order early to apply pressure......
The prick doesn't learn from his mistakes and thinks he can drive every wide ball to the boundary.Until he learns how to leave wide balls,he shouldn't be in the side.Ballance is almost as bad,plodding along not knowing how to work the ball into gaps.The pair of them have to be replaced asap, Cook and Root were tremendous today.Huge application and concentration,the discipline shown by both to leave ball after ball outside off stump was magnificent.With Root still there and Stokes and Bairstow to come 550 to 600 is achievable,roll on tomorrow !
Pure class from Root today and a fine innings from Cook too. The night watchman averages 32 in tests, so we should look to 500 minimum and take the game away from Pakistan. We may regret not picking Rashid.
You sometimes wonder what goes through their heads when choosing the starting eleven. The pitch was benign today but by Monday will be ideal for the spinners. I think they picked Ballance and Vince on a prayer and, on the balance, it was a shyte decision...
Must be an argument for promoting Woakes to 4 in line up, seems far more accomplished than Vince or Balance.......
Mockers from Boycott......2 minutes before Woakes is out please log in to view this image Geoffrey Boycott Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special Posted at12:45 It's a great opportunity for Woakes to get a hundred. It's buffet bowling. Go to the carvery, and get as much as you want.
Superb stuff from Root and Woakes,piling on the misery. Woakes has impressed me immensely this summer,his bowling has improved out of sight and his batting has made him a genuine all rounder. Vince and Ballance should take home a video of this innings and study it hard,application and concentration. That's what Test cricket is all about !
Top, Top morning for England...113/1 in the session, Root nearing a double century and Stokes ready to unleash in the afternoon......600 reachable and then give Pakistan a difficult half hour before close.....
Next session could have a few fireworks once Root gets his double and they really cut loose. Test cricket is a great game. I know the pitch is benign but who would have guessed this after the relative strength of the Pakistani bowling and weakness of the England batting at Lords?
