Pakistan v England: Alastair Cook 263 is longest innings by Englishman

Alastair Cook registered the longest innings by an Englishman in a Test match as his side carved out a first-innings lead against Pakistan.

Cook's largely impeccable knock of 263 from 528 balls lasted 831 minutes, beating Sir Len Hutton's 797-minute vigil while scoring 364 against Australia at The Oval in 1938.

The England captain's third Test double century, following his 235 not out in Brisbane (2010) and 294 against India at Edgbaston (2011), swelled his team's total to 569-8 and handed them a lead of 46 runs.
But with just a day left in the contest and the docile Abu Dhabi track offering little for the bowlers - bar the fired-up Wahab Riaz (3-116) - a draw looks all-but certain in the first game of the three-match series.
Cook should have exited for 173 in the first session after edging Wahab behind but wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed shelled the catch, Cook's second reprieve after he was dropped on 147 by sub fielder Fawad Alam last evening.

The left-hander went on to reach his 200 - the first by an English opener against Pakistan - from 395 deliveries, with Joe Root (85) also securing his 14th Test fifty, from 83 balls, before lunch.
Root's knock was not devoid of scares; he almost chopped on, had his blade beaten by Wahab, and had to survive an lbw review after being clattered on the pad by Imran Khan.
However, the 24-year-old still impressed while stroking seven boundaries so it came as a slight shock when he flashed a wide ball from Rahat Ali behind to end a 141-run stand with his skipper.

Joe Root has looked fairly unruffled while passing fifty

Wahab then pinned Jonny Bairstow (8) in front before the livewire left-armer struck Ben Stokes on the boot and almost forced him to drag onto his timbers during a cracking five-over spell of reverse swing prior to tea that yielded just seven runs.

Stokes (57) was the aggressor in his 91-run partnership with Cook for the sixth wicket, clubbing seven boundaries from 87 balls before he was castled dancing down the track to Shoaib Malik, the first wicket for a spinner in the game.
But Cook was the epitome of calm, easing past Malik's 245 to become the top run scorer in the match and ensuring his innings lasted longer than the entire fourth Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge.
The opener finally perished attempting a sweep against Malik in the 191st over - Shan Masood taking the catch - and with Jos Buttler (23) joining him after holing out to Zulfiqar Babar (1-180 from 70 overs), Adil Rashid (6no) and Stuart Broad (0no) guided England to the close.