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After convincingly beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-match series earlier in the summer, England were favourites to win this series against an ageing Pakistan team. But they were given a stark reminder in the first test that it will be by no means easy. Losing by 75 runs and being bowled out cheaply in both innings for below 300 with their troubles against spin being once again all too apparent.
Coming into the second test at Old Trafford England made a few changes to the team, bringing in James Anderson and Ben Stokes for Steven Finn and Jake Ball respectively. After the somewhat controversial omission of Anderson in the first test, after he appeared and said himself that he was 100% fit to play, with Pakistan winning at Lords England needed an instant reply. It is often said the best players learn from their mistakes and then go about dealing with the problem. That is the perfect description of how the England batsman went about erasing the memories of the first test and gone about the task of combating the big problem of Yasir Shah.
In the first Investec Test at Lord’s, Shah took match winning bowling figures of 10-141 to contribute massively to Pakistan taking a 1-0 lead in the series, and on a personal level, took himself to number one in the ICC Test bowling rankings. Compare that to the first innings of the second test and you see a huge contrast with Yasir finishing on figures of 54 overs, 213 runs and only one wicket. This was largely down to a lovely innings by Captain Alastair Cook scoring 105 runs before being bowled by Amir, and the always-impressive Joe Root who was finally dismissed in the second day scoring 254 runs and after a mammoth ten hours at the crease.
The two innings by Cook and Root was brilliantly backed up by 58 runs from Chris Woakes, who hasn’t put a foot wrong this series so far, taking ten wickets at Lords and contributing with the bat throughout. His emergence this summer has shown he is very nearly good enough to be considered a constant in this impressive young England test line-up. His partnership with Root managed to steady the ship with the fall of wickets of James Vince and Gary Balance in the middle order in quick succession making England fans fearful of another middle order collapse, in turn taking England’s score just past the 400 mark.
The flat pitch and tiring bowlers enabled a quick fire and strong 34 by Ben Stokes and a well structured and free flowing score of 58 by Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow was dismissed only when trying to unselfishly up the scoring pushing England’s first innings score to the best part of 600. England declared for 589-8 straight away once Bairstow went for another big shot but this time mistimed one straight up in the air, allowing Pakistan captain Misbah to take a simple catch at long off.
England were in a buoyant mood when it was their turn to bowl with the bowling partnership of James Anderson and Stuart Broad renewing after the former missing the first test. They toiled away in the first ten overs without any success, but managed to keep it tight and put pressure on the Pakistan batsman. Ultimately ending in the red hot Chris Woakes coming into the attack and taking the wicket of Hafeez in his first over. The English bowler then dismissed Azhar Ali and Rahat Ali cheaply, while Ben Stokes took the last wicket of the day, encouraging Younis Khan, one of the old guard of the side, to edge down the leg-side to Jonny Bairstow with Pakistan showing little resistance in getting near the England score.
Shan Masood, the only Pakistan batsman to put up a bit of a fight, fell early in Day three, edging Anderson to Root at slip. Only adding to England’s dominance in this second test at Old Trafford with rain stopping play just before an hours play being the only rest bite for the Pakistan batsman after a constant spell of tidy and threatening bowling. Once play got back underway-normal service of the test resumed with the England Bowlers skittling out the middle order with only Sarfraz Ahmed managing double figures.
Misbahs innings of 52 was reministent of the fellow captains innings of Alastair Cook as he provided the bulk of the runs to a low first innings score. Pakistan were bowled out for a first innings score of 198 eventually after the tail end put up a fight to last as long as they could, 391 runs behind England. It was a mystery to everyone why England decided to not enforce the follow on with the weather continuing throughout to frustrate everyone. The safe and conservative approach from Cook proved to be the right move allowing them to get a lead that gave them an insurance blanket to ensure they were the only team able to win the test. While enabling the bowlers to rest and the pitch to get better for bowling.
Utter dominance from start to finish is the best way to describe this second test from an England perspective. After getting an unassailable lead setting Pakistan a target of 565, with Cook and Root getting the bulk of the runs in both innings, they were able to bowl the opposition out for 234 with James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes all taking three wickets a piece to complete the win. Since the start of the game England put runs on the board and took quick wickets. It has looked like the two sides played on two completely different pitches with England scoring a huge amount of runs, whereas Pakistan haven’t been able to reach England’s first innings score from their two innings. Joe Root deservedly got match of the match with his 254 in the first innings putting them in a great position that has given England a one-sided win and levelled the test series at 1-1.
