Aaron Hart: Not even finished five Tests and people want Vince dropped. Clueless.  

Elmo: Lots calling for names who've been on selectors' lips forever. What about Dawid Malan? Scoring big runs for Middlesex and England Lions?

Dave Sawyer: Don't give up on Vince. He should be batting at four or five.

The Cookie Monster hasn't moved all day. Big, furry and blue, hands rested on his lap. He's almost fulfilling the role of authority figure in his part of the stand. What Mr Monster says, goes. Inside edge on to the pad from Gary Ballance, short leg Azhar Ali unable to get on to the track and take the ball before it hits the deck. Sedate at the moment.

Image source, Getty Images

We bring you news from the West Indies, where Virat Kohli has made his maiden Test double century for India.

The captain, 143 not out overnight, brought up his 200 off 281 balls to help the tourists to 404-4 at lunch on the second day of the first Test in Antigua.

Shikhar Dhawan made 84 yesterday and Ravichandran Ashwin, batting at number six, is currently 64 not out.

Full scorecard

Friday night. What are you up to? One the way home from work? Let me know if you're following from the train, bus, or tram. See if you can bond with a stranger over the cricket. Mohammad Amir is off the field and there are only seven overs before the new ball can be taken. Watch this space. 

Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan captain on BBC Test Match Special

Root has paced this hundred so beautifully. In a crunch moment he's got together with Cook for the partnership. Now towards the end of the day he can start to dominate.

Yasir Shah, omnipresent today, switches ends yet again, searching for magic like a wizard who has lost his wand. The sun peeps through - I think that rain might have missed us. Yasir fires his leggies in, bowling quicker than Mark Ealham. Now then, you don't see this very often. The spinner has been given a warning for running on the pitch. I don't think I've ever seen a slow bowler given one of those. Is he creating rough for himself?

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

This is the first time in 24 Tests that two of England's top five have made centuries in the same game.

Oh, yes. That shot from Joe Root is the sort that makes cricket lovers make a funny noise. You know the one. Sounds like "ooeerrshottt". Wide ball from new bowler Wahab Riaz, sent through the covers with a flourish by Root. If that shot had a Tinder page, you'd swipe right.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

When the chips are down who do you want? Do you want pretty little 20s, or you want someone who can grit it out and make 60s, 70s?

Now then, what could Jos Buttler and Peter Reid be talking about? On what looks to be a posh balcony, Reid is doing most of the talking, Buttler is smiling and nodding from behind his shades. "Honestly, Josh. I invented the reverse sweep." Speaking of Buttler, if he wants to press his red-ball claims, Lancashire don't have a Championship match until 4 August.

Paul Munro: Time for a change. Vince has had his chance. Borthwick, Adams, or Jennings to get a go for the third Test.

Arsenal Related: Unfortunately Vince doesn't seem to have it at Test level. Put Bairstow up to four and back Buttler as keeper/number seven

Mr Lingo: If Vince is discarded then I'd like to see Sam Northeast given a shot. 1000+ runs this season and massively in form.

Gary Ballance is on the act, barely needing to move his feet to send a very full delivery from Yasir through the covers for four. Might Pakistan think of Mohammad Amir to Ballance, get the ball swinging away from him? They might be waiting for the new ball, but that is still 11 overs away.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Joe Root drives at balls which are closer to him. He makes the bowlers bowl to him. Vince drives at balls that are wider. Bowlers are intelligent.

The floodlights are on at Old Trafford, reflecting off the shades that sit on top of Misbah's cap. Big contrast from the warm sunshine of this morning. Manchester, four seasons in one day. Or is that Melbourne? Same place. Lovely from Root, whipping Rahat off his toes for another boundary.

Yasir gets all Giles-to-Tendulkar on Root, coming round the wicket to test both his pads and his patience. As tactics go, it's quite Times New Roman - a bit dull. Have a look at these clips. One is of the Vince drop, the other his dismissal. Spot the difference.   

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

That is Joe Root's first Test century against Pakistan and his first at Old Trafford - off 157 balls with 14 fours.

Subplots aplenty out there. Ballance in need of runs, rain closing in, England never totally safe from a collapse. Three slips wait to be fed as Rahat lumbers in, Ballance doing that familiar backwards shuffle across his stumps. Decent maiden.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

We have seen two splendid centuries from England's two best batsmen. They've played proper cricket - good defence and judgement of what to play and what to leave. They've deserved it.