Pakistan v England, 1st Test Day Five: Five Things We Learned

England almost conjured up victory from nowhere as the first test ended in a draw, but what did we learn?

MAN OF THE DAY: Adil Rashid 18.5 – 3 – 64 – 5

Let’s not brush aside the last four days of tedium and remember that Test cricket should never be played on this type of surface. Right, now park that and let’s all have a disco for Adil Rashid. On Wednesday he churned out the worst figures by a bowler on Test debut. On Saturday, he became the first English leg-spinner since Tommy Greenhough against India in 1959 to take five wickets in a Test. His five for 64 showcased everything he does well: creating an opening, then lopping off a tail. It’s a role he has owned and perfected in a relentless Yorkshire attack, and something England have long been searching for. He didn’t quite pull a win out of the bag but he came pretty bloody close. At the very least, he secured his own personal redemption. What a display.

STOKES, THE FLAME

A thoroughbred game-changer. In the middle of a spell of bowling which saw him flirt above 90mph, Ben Stokes, fielding in the ring, still had his wits about him. While Mohammad Hafeez, having looked in fine touch, stuttered after pushing the ball into cover, Stokes didn’t miss a beat: swooping on the ball to pick it up with his left hand before transferring it to his right, he span sharply, momentarily turning his back on the stumps, before throwing them down at the non-striker’s end. While Stokes is a freak, it highlighted just how fit this England side are and how Trevor Bayliss’ emphasis on forcing things in the field is starting to shine through.

BIT-PART DRS IS NO DRS AT ALL

No snicko, no hotspot – no point. Rashid might have got Hafeez out caught behind. The umpire thought not, that decision was appealed and we spent what felt like an eternity wondering if the turn past the bat was just that or a deflection. Then there was Misbah’s dismissal in the first innings: adjudged caught behind, a decision overturned off the faintest of noises. Pure guess work. As you will have no doubt have heard, the onus is on the broadcaster to fund all facets of DRS. That’s absurd. The ICC simply have to put their hand in their pocket and fund all of it. In a series where a lot of wickets will fall for spin, expect a few dud calls by umpires not aided by sapping heat or technology.

DON’T DECLARE ON JIMMY

And if you do, be prepared for the stink eye. My word, that was one hell of a seethe from England’s finest, when he missed a couple of reverse sweeps and Alastair Cook decided to pull the plug on England’s first go with 598 for nine on the board. He cheered up when up he had two in an over: Shan Masood playing on for the second time in the match and then Shoaib Malik fending meekly to short-leg after Anderson managed to summon some extra bounce halfway down the pitch.

TO THE SECOND TEST…

England will have dented Pakistan’s confidence here, of that there can be no question. On paper, this visiting attack as a collective ranked as one of the weakest to take on Pakistan in the UAE. Yet they leave having skittled them for 173 in 58 overs. Yasir Shah spent the intervals of this match doing shuttle runs and bowling out on the field. His inclusion along with the return to fitness of Azhar Ali will strengthen the hosts in both disciplines (presumably Shan Masood and Rahat Ali will make way). The biggest lesson that England should take from these five days is that they beat Pakistan on points in this encounter by doing the simple things better.