Ist Test Played at Old Trafford , Manchester
Brief Scorecard At Stumps at Stumps On Day Two
Pakistan Ist Innings: 326 All Out in 109.3 Overs ( Shan Masood156,.Babar Azam 69 , Shan Shadab Khan 45 , Abid Ali 16, SCJ Broad 3/56 , JC Archer 3/59 CR Woakes 2/43 ) , England 1st Innings 92/4..( Olie Pope 46* , Jos Buttler 15* , Abbas 2/24, Shahin Shah Afridi 1/12, Yasir 1/ 36)
England trails by 234 runs with 6 wickets at hand.
Pakistan Won the Toss and Elected to Bat. Flamboyant Pakistan is firmly on driver’s seat at stumps on day two at Old Trafford. A score of 326 and England flat on the floor at 92/4, there is only one team which can force a win from here. On a lively wicket with quality bowling attack it looks like England has huge task at hand now to save the match.
Shan Masood (156) playing possibly the innings of his life has given Pakistan a reasonable capital of 326 to try and create huge pressure on English batting. Team having two teenage speed merchants Nasim and Shahin, skillful Abbas and two quality leg spinners Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan have alresy caused huge bother for English batting. England at stumps scoring 120 were looking down the barrel.
Read a very pertinent comment at Cricinfo "Two leggies, a right arm quick, a left arm quick and a mystery seam bowler. Total box office. Can only be Pakistan
Pakistan resumed the day at 139/2 found a different England attack appearing. Overnight unbeaten Babar Azam could hardly set his bearing right before crafty andesron had him nicking to slip. Root accepted gleefully. Asad Shafique joined Masood. Two long serving past masters Anderson and Broad looked true to their elements. Under heavy overhead cloud cover ball was talking. Shafique could not do much damage. Neither could Wicket Keeper batsman Rijwan also failed to impress. England taking 3 quick wickets before lunch of day two appeared to have regained control. But at the other end Massod was standing like the Rock of Gibralter. 105 runs 6th wicket partnership between Masood and Shadab Khan took the initiave again away from England. By the time Shadab got out scoring 45 Pakistan at 281 almost pushed England out of the game. With 9, 10 and jack as his partner Masood came down unwinding. Spinner Don Bess was blasted out of the park twice. His gritty innings reached beyond 150. Pakistan innings concluded at 326 just after tea. Given the condition of the match and the wicket perhaps will say perhaps Pakistan scored enough to press home from here.
England coming to bat had to bat had to encounter very high quality pace attack on helping condition. Tall lanky teenager Shahin Shah bowling at pace removed Burns in his very first over. Master tradesman of swing bowling Abbas looked equally menacing. In his scond over Shahin nearly got Root out. From the other end Abbas struck twice. First he trapped clueless Sibley, then he cleaned up Stokes with a beauty. England was tottering at 12/3. It was a great exhibition of top quality pace attack. Seeing them doing their acts must have pleased Wasim, Waqar and Holding. Their memories of bowling great in such condition must have tossed them back to their golden old days. Another great Shane Warne was waiting to see his own endangered species Yasir and Shadab coming into action. His prayer was soon accepted. Yasir looked a bit rusty to start with. But soon struck a big blowremoving captain Root caught behind with a loopy leg break. Cannot recollect when otherwise fluent Root struggled this much for scoring 14 runs in 58 deliveries. Only Pope played with some conviction remaining not out scoring 44. We believe Azhar missed a trick in not trying Shadab Khan against Pope few overs to try and test him with his variation specially googlies. In any case at stumps of day two Pakistan appears firmly on driver’s seat.
BDST: 1324 HRS, AUG 07, 2020
AP
