Cook makes 70 but England routed for 184

LONDON, May 24

Pakistan provoked England's latest batting collapse by combining disciplined bowling with superb catching before showing resistance in its reply to dominate the opening day of the first Test at the Lord's.

A new international season started with some familiar problems for England, which stumbled to 43/3 after winning the toss and then lost its last five wickets for 16 runs in 4.4 overs to be dismissed for 184 soon after tea.

Opener Alastair Cook was the only batsman to stand out, making 70 in his record-leveling 153rd consecutive Test.

Pakistan was 50/1 at stumps, trailing by 134 runs. Pakistan seamers bowled a good line and length on a day when the ball swung around and moved off the seam. Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali each took four wickets. Cook and Jonny Bairstow (27) were both bowled from deliveries that shaped in and seamed away to hit off stump. 

Allied to that were some surprisingly good catches by a team that is often criticized for its fielding, with Asad Shafiq taking two sharp catches at second slip to remove the recalled Jos Buttler and 20-year-old debutant Dom Bess, while Mohammad Amir dived to his right to snaffle Mark Wood for the final wicket. 

England's total was its lowest in the first innings at the Lord's since 2005 and the spotlight invariably fell on England captain Joe Root and his decision to bat first in what proved to be difficult conditions. 

Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq, trapped lbw to Stuart Broad for 4, early in the reply but Azhar Ali (18) and Haris Sohail (21) held out in the face of some probing seam bowling by Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood. Sohail was dropped on 16 by Ben Stokes, who dived to his right from third slip in front of Dawid Malam at second slip. 

Border hails amazing Cook 

Australia great Allan Border praised the “amazing” Alastair Cook as the England batsman equalled his record of 153 consecutive Tests by playing in the series opener against Pakistan at Lord’s on Thursday. This was the 154th Test of opener Cook’s career — with only illness after he made a century on debut against India at Nagpur in 2006 interrupting a sequence where he has never been dropped by the selectors.

Border and Cook are both gritty left-handed batsmen, each having scored more than 11,000 Test runs and captained their respective countries to Ashes success. At 33, Cook is some five years younger than Border was when he played his 153rd Test. “I didn’t realise anyone was getting that close in terms of consecutive Test matches, but it is an amazing thing,” said Border. “I’ve been a great fan of his from a distance over the years... To have stayed fit and able to play that many consecutive games is remarkable,” the 62-year-old added. — Agencies

Brief Scores: England: 184 (Cook 70; Abbas 4/23, Hasan 4/51); Pakistan: 50/1