Sharjah: Skipper Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid helped themselves to half-centuries to help England post an impressive total of 286 for five on the first day of their two-day warm-up match against Pakistan A at the Sharjah Stadium on Monday.
The suspense as to whether it will be Moeen Ali or Alex Hales who will open the innings with Cook ended with Ali walking out to open the innings. Pakistan ‘A’ skipper Junaid Khan opened the bowling attack with Ehsan Adil but the England openers batted cautiously to score 38 runs in the first hour.
With the score on 44 in the 18th over, 20-year-old left-arm pacer Zia Ul Haq forced Ali to top edge to Ehsan Adil for 22. At lunch, England were well placed at 69 for one.
Ian Bell, who joined Cook, struggled against the nagging line of Zafar Gohar, who was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with a haul of three for 72 from his 22 overs. Gohar, who bowled with a nice rhythm, got his reward in the 36th over when he trapped Bell leg before. The England veteran, who played 58 balls to score 19 runs, looked unhappy with the leg before verdict but put on 47 runs with Cook in 18.2 overs.
Cook reached his half-century with an elegant pull to the boundary. After adding two more runs, Cook played Gohar into the hands of Fawad Alam at leg slip. The England captain’s 53 came off 130 balls with four boundaries.
Root looked at ease against both spin as well as the pace of the Pakistan A team. At tea, England reached 143 for 3. Root reached his half century in 84 balls with five boundaries and retired on 59.
Right arm off spinner Iftikhar Ahmad, who was introduced only in the 66th over, had Ben Stokes caught behind by wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal while going for a cut for 6. Gohar picked his third wicket in the next over by trapping Jos Buttler, who played across and was adjudged leg before for 1.
Bairstow and Rashid kept the scoreboard moving. Bairstow became the third England batsman to score a half-century in the 82nd over. It took him 90 balls and he hit just three boundaries. The only six of the day was scored by Rashid, who lifted Mohammad Asghar over the covers. Rashid too reached his half-century in 78 balls with three boundaries and a six. Bairstow and Rashid put on an unbeaten 103 runs for the sixth wicket.
