Five talking points from the second Test – Pakistan v England
England’s middle order blows cold then hot, Wahab Riaz has a good touch for a big man, Buttler’s not coming up with good service and why review a reviewMiddle order woes
It was a Test that England’s middle order almost salvaged in the second inningsafter that same cluster had all but lost the game in the first. A collapse from 206 for three to 218 for seven instigated by Wahab Riaz proved to be the game. Joe Root’s departure set it off and with Alastair Cook already back in the changing room, there was an inevitability to how things turned out for Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid – Jonny Bairstow (46) at least managing his first score of note of the tour in the first innings. That pack of four acquitted themselves decently on day five, taking more than 58 overs out of the day, with Adil Rashid’s 172-ball 61 boosting that number. The run-scoring exploits of Cook and Root are, of course, worthy of praise, but they probably wouldn’t mind a bit.
Rampant Riaz
It was unfortunate that, going into the final day, the talk was of Wahab Riaz’s football skills as he dribbled the ball into a drinks break because his palms were too sweaty. Joe Root was irked, presumably because Wahab was dawdling on the ball, not quite getting it out of his feet. When Root played the ball back to him in the morning session, Wahab did a few kick-ups, showing good touch for a big man. And then he did what he does best, fizzing a few bouncers past Stuart Broad’s ear and then skimming his toes with an inswinging yorker. He has been excellent to watch, particularly during his match-turning nine-over spell on the third morning in which he took three for 15, including the wicket of a well-set Root. His first-innings figures of four for 66 are his best since a five-wicket haul against England on debut in 2010. And finally, a man of the match cheque awarded for game-changing impact rather than defaulted to the top-scoring batsmen. VE
Drop Buttler …
No half-century in 12 innings is one thing, but the worrying thing about Jos Buttler’s displays with the bat in that period is he hasn’t looked the dynamic sort he can be. Has the decline been a surprise? Yes and no. It’s not easy to turn “see ball, hit ball” into “see ball, move feet, leave ball”. Then again, his downturn in form has seen a tentativeness enter his wicketkeeping game, most notably when he allowed an edge off Misbah-ul-Haq to pass between him and first slip. Perhaps the rigours of being a Test keeper have taken their toll – it’s worth noting that Buttler has not played a full season of Championship cricket as a number one behind the stumps. He is capable of returning to Test cricket a more complete player. VE
… But that’s it (for now)
There will be a temptation to drop Ian Bell and the evidence against him is certainly stacking up. However, he has only failed once with the bat on this tour – a tame edge off Imran Khan going through to the keeper in the first innings of this match. And, of course, there’s that shoddy middle order. Oh and Moeen Ali at the top of the order. But with Jonny Bairstow already in the side, he can take the gloves straight away, meaning the choice becomes thus: either James Taylor comes in for Buttler and strengthens that middle order, with Bairstow dropping down the order. Or Alex Hales comes in, allowing Moeen Ali to bat closer to his usual No8 spot. Throwing in both, cold, is asking for trouble.
Never review reviews
There were numerous contrasts between England’s first innings and their second. On day three Adil Rashid sent his second ball looping to extra cover after top-edging a ludicrous heave, out idiotically after 10 minutes; on day five he batted for one minute shy of four hours, a long and brilliantly focused stint, though to be fair he was still out after an instantly regrettable shot picked out a fielder in the covers. In the first innings England’s last six batsmen faced a combined 76 deliveries and contributed little; in the second they nearly saved the day and Ben Stokes alone faced 66, playing stubbornly against type in accumulating a snail-paced 13. But the greatest contrast lay with Mark Wood, whose dismissal in the second innings, having carried his side to the very verge of nearly-not-losing, had more than a whiff of tragedy, while the end of his first knock was the match’s comic highlight. He edged Yasir Shah to Younis Khan at slip and though the on-field umpires weren’t certain the ball had carried they referred to the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, who examined all available replays and decided that it was definitely out. Wood immediately reviewed the decision, in the apparent belief that the same TV umpire might examine the same footage and somehow unsee what he had just seen. It was, as decisions go, even more puzzling than that Rashid slog-sweep, and should probably never be repeated. Simon Burnton
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