Alastair Cook gives England lead after record-breaking innings against Pakistan

England took a 46-run lead over Pakistan thanks to a sublime double century from Alastair Cook on the fourth day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi. The England captain took 263 during his huge 831 minutes with the bat, the longest innings from an Englishman in history and enough to give his side a strong chance of avoiding defeat.

Joe Root (85) and Ben Stokes (57) also helped England to 569-8, closing the gap significantly after Shoaib Malik's double century opened a huge deficit on the second day.

Cook came in at the end of day two and was within 37 runs of clinching a treble century before he scooped the ball into grateful arms of Shan Masood, leaving with a haul that was also good enough for him to take third place in the longest innings in Test history. Jos Buttler replaced the skipper but departed for 23 after Zulfiqar Babar claimed his first wicket of the Test.