Dorothy

He may have to play the waiting game after this series, too. Cox is a fill-in for the injured Jacob Bethell, the golden boy of the English game. The Essex man is more of a No 4 or No 5, capable of playing a soothing tune – like he did here – but also blitzing it when the moment requires. So his major problem is obvious, with those two spots occupied by the two non‑negotiables in this England side, Root and Harry Brook. “If you’ve got the No 1 and 2 Test batsmen in the world, I can’t imagine I’m going to squeeze them apart,” said Cox last year, acknowledging the challenge of finding a middle-order role.

While Bethell is a shoo-in to make a return to No 3 after he recovers from a knee injury, Broad feels that Cox's knock could help him earn a shot at another role in England's Test XI:

Welcome to the second day of this first Test between England and Pakistan from Headingley. I’m afraid to say that it is a wet one, folks. As the Beautiful South nearly sang – From Garforth to Gipton it’s rain. From Roundhay to Rawdon it’s rain.

And then it happened. With 91 runs to his name, Brook rocked back and went to push the left-arm spin of Ali Usman through vacant mid-wicket only to swipe at fresh air and hear the ball cannon on to his stumps. Brook came into this match as the No 1-ranked batter in the world but this local peak continues to elude him.

Trying to whip Usman into the leg side, Brook missed and was bowled. It is the second time in as many Tests he has been dismissed in the 90s on his home ground, following a 99 against India here last year.

Brilliant England batting leaves Pakistan on brink After the lengthy rain delay, Cox and Root began the afternoon in the same fashion as they finished the previous evening, resuming on 112-2 and swatting a toothless Pakistan bowling attack away with apparent ease on their way to respective Test match fifties. Cox's maiden Test half-ton came in a 150-run partnership for the third wicket that put England firmly in the driving seat.

Usman stole the headlines late on with two wickets in two balls, trapping Gus Atkinson (3) in front before dismissing Ollie Robinson (0) for a duck straight afterwards to secure an impressive maiden Test five-fer, leaving Jofra Archer (0no off 3) and Jamie Smith (16no off 35) at the crease with England eight wickets down heading into day three.

Usman rues Pakistan bowling lapses despite five-wicket haul Spinner believes team must be positive with the bat when second innings comes about

Elsewhere, a Test comeback has been put on hold for Sam Curran after the all-rounder was ruled out of the rest of the English summer with a groin injury. Curran is an option England are considering as they figure out life after Ben Stokes.

Cox should have been caught on 57 when he patted back to Shahzad. Perhaps the drop disrupted his concentration, because the wicket-taking delivery from Usman was innocuous. Cox simply followed one the left-armer got to turn and edged to the wicketkeeper.