There were moments on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan when England might have wished for the intervention of a patron saint of wickets.
Facing an inexperienced bowling attack, the most placid of pitches, scorching heat, and a Pakistan captain eager to end a streak of 10 winless home matches, England was up against a stiff challenge.
Yet, they held firm. Despite Shan Masood's commanding 151 and Abdullah Shafique’s 102, England persisted. As daylight faded and the second new ball gleamed, they were rewarded when Babar Azam misjudged a delivery, getting trapped in front of the stumps—an outcome England had earned through perseverance.
Though Pakistan ended the day at 328-4 and had the upper hand, England's spirits were high as they left the field, their smiles and high fives indicating that they had taken positives from the day. A strong start on day two, and they would be right back in the contest.
There was a sense that England might simply continue where they left off two years ago when a 3-0 series win over Pakistan ranked as one of their greatest away achievements outside Australia or India, and a highlight of the Bazball era. But much has changed since 2022. Despite their recent poor run, Pakistan appears stronger on paper this time around. One noticeable difference is the timing of the series. Playing in October rather than December brings higher, uncomfortable temperatures.
The biggest shift, however, is in England's pace attack. Gone are the retired James Anderson (who deserves mention), the injured Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson, who has been left out of the squad. Replacing them are Chris Woakes, known for struggling in overseas conditions, Gus Atkinson, a summer sensation but untested abroad, and Brydon Carse, who is yet to prove himself and is just returning from a ban for past gambling offenses.
In 2022, seamers were pivotal to England’s success. Back then, both teams’ spinners were evenly matched—England's spinners took 33 wickets at an average of 37.3, while Pakistan’s took 35 at 36.2. The real difference was in the seamers, with England claiming 26 wickets at an average of 23.3, compared to Pakistan’s 11 wickets at a costly 62.7.
Winning the toss might have provided England some early advantage, but stand-in captain Ollie Pope has now lost all four tosses in Ben Stokes' absence. Any hopes of pitch assistance were dashed when a pre-match mower stripped away the talk of grass, leaving England to rely on resilience instead of conditions.
Post a Comment