Younis double century give Pakistan a lead of 214
Pakistan tour of England and Ireland, 4th Investec Test: England v Pakistan at The Oval, Aug 11-15, 2016
3rd Day
England 328 ao 76.4 ov, AN Cook 35 off 50, 4 fours, JM Bairstow 55 off 93, 7 fours, MM Ali 108 off 152, 13 fours, 2 sixes, Mohammad Amir 80-2, Sohail Khan 68-5, Wahab Riaz 93-3.
England 2nd Innings 88/4 off 31 ov Alex Hales 12 off 55, 2 fours, JE Root 39 off 46, 4 fours, JM Bairstow 14 not out off 19, 2 fours, Wahab Riaz 15-1, Yasir Shah 15-3.
Pakistan 542 ao off 146 ov Azhar Ali 49 off 113, 9 fours, Asad Sahfiq 109 off 179, 12 fours, 2 sixes, Younis Khan 218 off 308, 31 fours, 4 sixes, Mohammed Amir 39 not out off 70, 5 fours, 1 six, SCJ Broad 99-1, ST Finn 110-3, CR Woakes 82-3, NM Ali 128-2, James Anderson 78-1
Pakistan led by 214 runs in the 1st innings
Younis Khan reached his double century with a massive six, a full-blooded loft into the stands at wide long-on, after rediscovering his elusive form. This is his 3rd test double centuries after turning 35. He only played one false stroke that flew for four, just out of James Vince’s reach in the covers, but his other 34 boundaries were emphatic stamps of class, as England were made to toil.
Four times Pakistan have a 200-plus lead in a test match in England, three of those have been at the Oval, in 1987, 2006 and 2016.
England turned to Cook’s masterful reargards, as it was on this ground in the same innings six years ago that he produced the most important century of his career, but having successfully negotiated the left-arm bowling of Amir, he had no response when Wahab followed a first-ball no-ball long hop with a high ball that Cook could only deflect at high speed to Iftikhar Ahmed at first slip. Yasir took three wickets including Alex Hales, James Vince and Joe Root who after reaching 39 from 46 balls including his 4000th test runs.