England Vs Pakistan Test Played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 13-17 October 2015

Match Drawn
Pakistan 523 /8  Declared ( Shoaib Malik 245 , Asad Shafiq 107 , Mohammad Hafiz 98 , Younis Khan 38 , BA Stokes 4/57 ) and 173 All Out ( Misbah Ul Huq 51, Younis Khan 45 , Mohammad Hafiz 34 , Adil Rashid 5/ 64 ) England 598/9 Declared ( Alister Cook 263, JE Root 85, IR Bell 63, BA Stokes 57, M Ali 35, Wahab Riaz 3/125 ) and 77/4 ( JE Root 33 *)

Man of the Match: AN Cook

Circumstances alter cases. Test Cricket life is a game of glorious uncertainty. One must keep hoping against hope and never say die. It proved once again at Abu Dhabi last afternoon.

Pakistan-England Abu Dhabi test match looked dull, drab and dreary after 12 sessions of fourth day. Yet it turned into a hair rising, nail biting, nearly heart stopping fascinating contest in the last session.

It could see England winning the thriller if only bad light did not draw curtain with England in hot pursuit. 1,121 runs were scored of 17 wickets of one each innings each side on hot desert of middle eastern home away from home of Pakistan.

Shoaib Malik and Alister Cook played two marathon innings (each scoring double centuries). When no one expected anything different from a dull draw, it exploded into almost a photo finish.

A debutant named Adil Rashid who actually had nightmarish debut in the first innings triggered major collapse of Pakistan. His 5/64 forced Pakistan getting all out 173 in the second innings.

England required 99 for victory. They could race to 74/4 in 11 overs when bad light robbed Englishmen of a dramatic win. A dying test match came alive in ICU. Pakistan were to bowl another 8 overs when play was called off. In these days of T20 scoring 99 in 19 over is not beyond reach of any major team.

We are not Nevil Cardus to pen picture such a dramatic turn out. If England would have won that could not be the poetic justice. Neither side deserved to loose. Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Alister Cook and Adil Rashid rewrote some scripts in record book. Now the last session of the last day almost eclipsed everything else.

Pakistan white washed England last time when the teams last met. The hero of that series Saeed Ajmal still plays active cricket but after remodeling his action, he is no longer a threat. A new Pakistani sensation Yasir Shah could tease England but he was not match fit.

Pakistan attack lacked spinning depth. England appeared with two bearded spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. In the desert sun, the wicket gets baked and gets dry. It either breaks giving assistance on the last day. Leg spinners usually like such condition, a bit turn and uneven bounce. We are sure what Adil did Yasir could do better.

Anyway, on such a dead unresponsive wicket fielding needs to be razor sharp and all chances even half chances should not be floored. But both teams let several chances grassed. The bowlers had nightmare. Pakistan played almost two days declaring their first innings at 523/8 playing 151/1 overs.

Shoaib Malik returning after 5 years in test arena and batting at number three played his highest test innings of 245. Pakistan’s two prolific scorers of Arabian Desert Younis Khan and Misbah did not do much damage.

Younis however scoring 38 became the highest scorer of Pakistan in test cricket overtaking Pakistan legend Javed Miandad. Misbah was possibly unlucky to be given out caught behind for only three. But young Asad Shafique joined a elite club of leading test batsman scoring his 6th century batting at number 6. Both Shoaib and Shafique got reprieve more than once by English fielders.

Adil Rashid in his debut innings failed to take any wicket giving away 163 runs. English pacers troubled Pakistani batsmen and could run through the innings if catches were accepted. Ben Stokes took 4/57. Anderson also looked threatening even on lifeless deck.

The marathon Pakistan innings and desert heat could not take England. Led by their captain Cook England responded very bravely. Moeen Ali and Cook started with a 116 runs first wicket partnership. Then Cook and Bell added 165 for the second.

Cook played a marathon innings of 836 minutes scoring 263 runs. Root (85), Stokes (57) gave him admirable support. English innings almost lasted into second hour of last day before cook declared at 598/9.

When Pakistan came to bat suddenly, the wicket started misbehaving. Some bowls were keeping low, odd ones were lifting. Anderson struck two early blows removing Shan Masood and Shoaib Malik. Another double centurion scored a duck in the same test a rarity.

Hafiz and Younis were resurrecting the innings till Hafiz ran himself out. Two top dogs of Pakistan Younis and Misbah rallied till Adil show started. The wicket started playing few tricks.   Moeen and Adil worked in tandem to take 7 Pakistan wickets for 70 runs. Pakistan could set only 99 runs target for England in 19 overs.

England took up the challenge and was going great guns till 11 overs going with in 25 runs of the target when bad light stopped play robbing of a very probable victory.  The last stage of otherwise dull match witnessed a fascinating contest.

Some persons say test cricket is dying, test cricket is boring. But it is only in test cricket where a team has to play consistently well over most of the sessions to win or survive. Cricket changes hue from session to session.  That is why experts say test cricket is the ultimate frontier of temperament, patience and quality.

BDST: 1504 HRS, OCT 18, 2015
RS/SMS