England have levelled up the four-match series against Pakistan by winning the second Test at Old Trafford by a mammoth 330 runs.
It was a dominant display from the hosts throughout, with Joe Root the star man of the team having scored 325 runs, taken four catches and a wicket with his second ball as England closed in on victory.
The fourth day of the Test began with England 98-1 in the second innings with a lead of 489 runs after captain Alastair Cook decided against enforcing the follow-on.
Similar to the opening day, Cook and Root's partnership was strong as the pair reached their fastest-ever half-centuries, with the skipper claiming 50 from 55 balls and his fellow batsman hitting the target in just 38 deliveries.
England declared on 173-1, leaving Pakistan with a 564-run mountain to climb, and it could not have been a worse start for the tourists as James Anderson sent Shan Masood packing for one in the fourth over.
Anderson struck again six overs later by trapping Azhar Ali (8) lbw before lunch, but Mohammad Hafeez kept things ticking along as he edged closer to a half-century.
Moeen Ali stopped the batsman in his tracks, though, as he dismissed the opener on 42 runs, and he later added two more wickets, ending the day with figures of 3-88.
Anderson nabbed three wickets in total, while Chris Woakes was responsible for bowling out Misbah-ul-Haq (35) and Mohammad Amir (29), and batsman Root sealed the dismissal of Wahab Riaz (19).
There was some disappointment for England, though, as Ben Stokes was withdrawn in the afternoon session after suffering a calf injury.
The Durham all-rounder will hope to learn the extent of the problem when he undergoes an MRI scan tomorrow, but for now, England are celebrating as they leave Manchester on level terms with two Tests remaining.
Danielle Joynson
