RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesFirst Rothesay Test, Headingley (day two of five)
Pakistan 171 all out: Shafique 61; Tongue 5-46, Robinson 5-51
England 366-8: Brook 91, Cox 73, Root 66; Usman 5-92
England are 195 runs ahead
Scorecard
Harry Brook sparkled in the Headingley gloom to build England's commanding lead over Pakistan on a shortened second day of the first Test.
Brook, overlooked for the Test captaincy, reinforced how important he will be to England's new era under Joe Root with a superb 91.
The vice-captain was crucially dropped on one and the reprieve allowed him to take England to 366-8, 195 ahead.
A stand of 120 with Dan Lawrence, who marked his recall with 51, came after Root and Jordan Cox both missed out on landmark centuries.
Root looked set to announce the beginning of his second spell as captain with a ton, while Cox was on course for a maiden hundred.
But their third-wicket partnership of 150 was ended when the impressive Cox feathered behind off the left-arm spin of Ali Usman for 73.
Four balls later, Root was left angry with himself by playing across the line to seamer Khurram Shahzad to be lbw for 66.
Nevertheless, Brook ensured England used the play possible on a damp, dank day in Leeds to cement their advantage.
Morning rain delayed the action until 14:45 BST. The clouds and floodlights should have given Pakistan the conditions to get back into the match. Instead, they could be beaten inside three days.
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England dominate in Headingley gloom
After England dismissed Pakistan for 171 and then moved to 112-2 by the end of the opening day, it seemed likely that their biggest barrier to significant progress on Thursday would be the weather.
And the elements were a challenge for all concerned. Umpire Allahuddien Paleker officiated in gloves, while England's backroom staff huddled on the dressing room balcony in thick coats.
The Pakistan seamers, ideally suited to the conditions, were presented with a golden opportunity. Instead, England were able to score at a Bazball-like rate of 4.5 runs per over, simply by tucking into the bad balls on offer.
Perhaps Pakistan would have made further inroads had captain Salman Ali Agha held Brook at second slip off Shahzad.
Had Brook been dismissed, England would have lost three wickets for seven runs. The score was 205-4 at the time, the hosts' lead 34, with only wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to come before the bowlers.
Thanks to the let-off, Brook treated his home crowd to strokeplay befitting his status as the number-one ranked batter in the world.
Maturing Brook underlines importance to new England
For some, Brook epitomised everything wrong with the Bazball era for his mistakes both on and off the field. This could have been his first Test as captain.
With or without the armband, he will be crucial to England's immediate prospects of success.
Speaking to BBC Sport last week, Brook acknowledged he had given some supporters cause for frustration. He admitted he is not the finished article as a Test batter and promised to work hard to recognise the right situations to unfurl his array of strokes.
The drop was an indeterminate stroke, a limp poke at Shahzad. After that, Brook played the situation beautifully.
He has a stellar record against Pakistan, and the tourists' attack did not have the weapons to trouble him – a plan for Mohammad Ali to bowl 78mph bouncers was dismissed with a savage pull for four.
It was not all brawn for Brook, who regularly played deft guides to third man. A century was there for the taking, only for a fatal error in the final half an hour before the close.
Trying to whip Usman into the leg side, Brook missed and was bowled. It is the second time in an as many Tests he has been dismissed in the 90s on his home ground, following a 99 against India here last year.
Cox and Lawrence miss out on telling scores
While Brook's failure to register a ton is not a setback in the context of his career, Cox and Lawrence will reflect on the opportunities they had to make scores that would help establish them in this England side.
Injuries have meant Cox has had to wait for a sustained run in the team, with a chance at number three coming because of Jacob Bethell's knee problem. Lawrence is getting his fourth go at Test cricket, filling the void left by the retired Ben Stokes.
With Bethell set to come back when fit and the injured Sam Curran identified as a possible Stokes replacement, Cox and Lawrence have this series to make life tricky for the selectors. These innings, though both individually impressive, were not enough to make an irresistible case. Both men will need more.
From 23 not out overnight, Cox returned with the calmness he showed on Wednesday. He struck three fours in a single Shahzad over and moved to his first Test half-century by flicking Mohammad Abbas fine for four.
Cox should have been caught on 57 when he patted back to Shahzad. Perhaps the drop disrupted his concentration, because the wicket-taking delivery from Usman was innocuous. Cox simply followed one the left-armer got to turn and edged to the wicketkeeper.
Lawrence played on-drives off the seamers and sweeps off the spinners. One sweep too many at Usman resulted in a skied top-edge. After Usman removed Brook, he later accounted for Gus Atkinson and Ollie Robinson in successive balls for his maiden Test five-wicket haul.
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