×

Pakistan fall into age-old England trap, need nerves of steel to save 2nd Test at Old Trafford

Touring batsmen have ironically, and consistently, played most atrocious of strokes, and England have bowled in the right areas.

Related articles

Pakistan having a tough time at Old Trafford © Getty Images
Pakistan having a tough time at Old Trafford © Getty Images

There may be a gazillion ways to win a cricket match, but only a handful of tricks one can take out of the hat to win Tests in England. Of course, a team needs as many runs as possible on the board, but to have a bowling attack that has the ability to take 20 wickets throughout the series is a quality most teams generally lack. The South African team that toured England in 2012 had that potential. Pakistan, who seem to have hit the rock bottom after stunning England at Lord’s are witnessing the same age-old English trap at Old Trafford, and it will take some real character to save this Test from here. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test at Old Trafford

If England know that the opposition batsmen struggle against moving ball, they dish out ‘English wickets’. The Ashes 2015 had begun with two of the flattest decks seen in England, but the next two were the traditional wickets in which perhaps England can excel, mostly because their players have grown up on them. ALSO READ: Reasons for Pakistan’s batting collapse against an under-firing England attack

Australia had batted first at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, could not stand England’s menacing swing and seam attack, and their scores of 136 and 60 respectively in the first two innings of those Tests led to their downfall. There was no other reason as prominent as this.

The touring sides — be it the workaholic Australia or unpredictable Pakistan or frail Indian and Sri Lankan teams — have always found them caught in the fishing net which this English team knows well how to spread out. ALSO READ: Joe Root’s double century buries ENG’s search for an apt No. 3 batsman

And if England know that the opposition contains bowlers which can trouble their batsmen more than what their own bowlers can do, the hosts happily dish out flat decks that remain true to their nature for most of the game. At Old Trafford, England have challenged Pakistan to match them more with bat than with ball — as the wicket is still responsive to those who apply themselves and not play unwanted strokes.

Whether it is the scoreboard pressure, fatigue of teams who have remained on fields for hours as England piled up totals in excess of 500 or the brilliance of the hosts’ seam attack, nothing can be pointed out in particular as England’s impressive run at home. Touring batsmen have ironically, and consistently, played the most atrocious strokes as England have invariably bowled in the right areas. When they bowl, England somehow seem to know where to pitch the ball on their flat pitches and the opposition do not.

Pakistan, in the ongoing second Test, face a similar problem. They have not been caught off-guard: England batting first on a friendly wicket should have made them put on the thinking caps. Unfortunately, Pakistan continued to bowl like they did at Lord’s; Yasir Shah suddenly turned into a bowler not deserving any place higher than 50 in rankings, let alone No. 1. Mohammad Aamer has all the hype around him — though it is diminishing slowly — but the threats he poses are yet to strike.

And Pakistan have spilled catches. The last thing a team would want to do is to grass the easiest of catches, but Pakistan, with their familiar frailties, have ceded control to England and stand a realistic chance of losing all that they earned at Lord’s.

Trailing by close to 500 runs, Pakistan are all but out-batted. If rain interrupts anymore, England will be eager to declare — their bowlers hopefully would have enjoyed the brief cosiness that the team sought for them — and the tourists will be left with a mountain to climb.

The only respite that Pakistan can take from their horror first innings that James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s wickets columns do not promise much. The pair accounted for only one wicket apiece — and Pakistan would be somewhere happy giving them that many. But who knows, what will pan out in the second?

(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)

trending this week