England's Alastair Cook waits on Ben Stokes' fitness

England captain Alastair Cook says Ben Stokes will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness for the second Test against Pakistan.

All-rounder Stokes has been struggling with a virus ahead of the match, which starts in Dubai on Wednesday.

The Durham man was absent from training on Monday, but Cook is confident the 24-year-old will be available, enabling England to name an unchanged side for the second instalment of the three-Test series.

"He's had a virus, a 24-hour bug. He didn't look very well yesterday [Monday] apparently," Cook said.

"But he's here now, for training. We'll just see. He should be fine, but we've got to be careful.

"It depends how badly he has been knocked about. Five days in this heat, you need to be 100 per cent before you start.

"I think he'll be fine. But we'll see how he gets on in training, and obviously make a decision in the morning."

Cook set a record for the longest an England batsman has spent at the crease as he made 236 in the first innings of the drawn first Test.

Stokes meanwhile took 4-57 in Pakistan's first innings and then made 57 with the bat.

He failed to take a wicket during England's second spell in the field but did return impressive figures of 0-9 from seven overs bowled, including four maidens.

He was out for two in the dramatic, unsuccessful run chase, as the tourists ran out of time in their attempts to secure an unlikely victory.