Thursday 2 February 2012

Pakistan defeat shows England are still work in progress



Having lost the first two tests against Pakistan England need to win in the final test starting on Friday in Dubai to remain world number 1 and prove that they deserve that crown.

There’s a saying that goes “The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over again and expect a different result each time.” After having been dismissed time and again on the back foot by a spinner in the first test, England went and did it all again in the second test.

The sign of a good team is that they learn and adapt and come back stronger. If England are to have any pretentions of solidifying their Number One test ranking spot when they travel to India next winter they must show in this final test that they have learnt their lesson and that they came face up to a trial by spin.

So far this series has proved something that many cricket writers and fans suspected all along. At home, or on fast true wickets England are without a doubt the best side around in test cricket. However, on the sub-continent this is a different matter. England are likely to name an unchanged line-up from the one which capitulated so tamely in Abu Dhabi and it is up to those players, batsmen in particular, to stand up and re-find their killer instinct.

This is to take nothing away from a Pakistan team, who have been somewhat patronised in the media throughout this series. Pakistan are the most improved side in test cricket and have won seven and drawn three of their last 10 test matches. Despite all their off the field problems, this Pakistan team is full of heart, passion and no small amount of talent.

Ably lead by the calming influence of Misbah Ul Haq their batsman have shown an almost un-Pakistani degree of restraint during this series in grinding out totals on wickets not conducive to fast run rate. In Saeed Ajmal they have the second ranked test bowler in the world and Umar Gul is a highly skilled and canny operator. When their interim coach Mohsin Khan talks about Pakistan as being a potential World number one soon, there is a lot of substance to this belief.

Before the series the worry for England was how their bowling would stand up on these flat slow pitches. With no assistance from the pitch for the trio of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett the fear was that wickets would not arrive for Andy Flower’s men, but it has been the England batsmen who have crumbled in the sun.

The only English knocks of note have showed exactly how batsmen need to play on these slow, turning pitches. Matt Prior’s fine 70 in the first test was all played off the front foot with decisive foot movement. The same can be said of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott’s partnership in the first innings of the second test.

The rest of the English batsmen have looked all at sea so far on this trip. Eoin Morgan has well and truly been found out during this series. He looks short on confidence and this means that he is no longer batting he is surviving. A decisive confident Morgan dictates to the bowling. His unique array of shots means the bowler never knows where to bowl. At the moment Morgan is a shadow of this player, scratching around on the back foot not knowing where the next run is coming from.

Captain Andrew Strauss is in danger of becoming the modern day Mike Brearley, picked not for his batting but for his captaincy. Brearley, who masterminded the improbable 1981 Ashes victory, averaged only 23 in tests but he was a magnificent man manager and captain. Strauss has hit one test century in 30 months and as long as England keep winning his position as opener and captain will never be questioned, but should England’s form start to falter then Strauss’s form will be more and more called into question.

As for Kevin Pietersen, well, he is just being Kevin Pietersen this series. Finding ways to get out that most people wouldn’t think possible. The South African could well score a double hundred in this final test and leave the series averaging 50, making it seem as though he has had a good series. But this is the enigma that is Pietersen, his stats are still impressive but you can count on one hand the number of gritty game changing innings that he has played in test cricket.

There is talent waiting in the wings should the England hierarchy wish to change things looking ahead. Ravi Bopara is an excellent player of spin but there has always been a question mark over whether the Essex man can consistently cut it in test cricket. Further along the line there are some very exciting young county players coming through. Leicestershire’s James Taylor, Somerset’s Jos Buttler and Yorkshire’s Johnny Bairstow are all test players of the future.

But for the moment, England’s current crop needs to lay down a marker and show to the cricketing world that they are the number one team in all conditions. 

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