England captain Alastair Cook dished out a resolute century to lead his team’s remarkable fightback in the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.
Cook knocked 168 not out for his 28th Test century — his fifth against Pakistan — to anchor England to 290-3 at the close on the third day on a flat Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium pitch.
Cook added an invaluable 116 for the first wicket with opener Moeen Ali (35) and another 165 for the second with Ian Bell, who made a hard-fought 63.
Photo: Reuters
Joe Root was the other unbeaten batsman on 3 as England still trailed Pakistan’s mammoth first innings total of 523-8 declared by 233 runs with seven wickets intact.
Pakistan were hoping their big total would put England under pressure, but Cook, regarded a better batsman against spin than his teammates, took the fight to the Pakistan bowlers, who managed just three wickets in the day.
It could have been only one wicket, but paceman Wahab Riaz (two for 79) dismissed Bell and nightwatchman Mark Wood (4) in successive overs for consolation wickets.
Photo: Reuters
It was Cook who took the honors, though, with some determined batting.
The England skipper drove Riaz for an exquisite cover-drive for his 10th boundary to complete his century before tea, raising his bat in celebration.
When on 93 the England skipper also completed 1,000 runs in his 11th Test this year, only the second batsman to reach 1,000 runs this year behind teammate Root.
Photo: AP
On 101, Cook survived a confident leg before wicket appeal as he missed a sweep off left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, with Pakistan unsuccessfully challenging Australian umpire Paul Reiffel’s decision.
Babar was again unlucky when substitute fielder Fawad Alam failed to hold on to Cook’s uppish sweep with the batsman on 147.
Cook took two on that lapse and two balls later completed his 150 off 282 balls with a single.
In all he has so far hit 15 boundaries off 329 balls.
Pakistan also used Shoaib Malik and Asad Shafiq, but it turned out to be a nightmarish pitch for the slow bowlers, with 130 overs of spin failing to buy a single wicket.
England spinner Adil Rashid, Ali, Root and Ben Stokes (one over as spinner) also failed to get a single wicket in a combined 70 overs.
Earlier, Cook and Ali resumed the day at 56-0, bringing up the century stand in the first hour of play as Pakistan attacked through pace at one end and spin from the other.
England’s last century stand came against New Zealand at Headingley in Leeds earlier this year with Cook and now discarded Adam Lyth posting 177.
However, at 116 left-hander Ali edged an outgoing delivery from paceman Imran Khan to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, who took a good low catch to his left.
Babar was unlucky not to have Bell four overs before lunch when close-in fielder Shan Masood failed to hold on to an edge at silly-point.
Bell, who survived some anxious moments in the second session, hit five boundaries in a snail-paced 199-ball knock.
The remaining two Tests are to be played in Dubai (Thursday next week to Oct. 26) and Sharjah (Nov. 1 to Nov. 5).
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