***Official*** Pakistan and England in UAE

[Spark]

Hmm you have to wonder how long they can keep relying on Prior to bail the top order out against spin, sooner or later he's going to miss a straight one early on. It'll be interesting to see how much of an advantage England's lower order will be in a situation like this.

Like 2nd dig 1st Test?

 

[wpdavid]

Hmm you have to wonder how long they can keep relying on Prior to bail the top order out against spin, sooner or later he's going to miss a straight one early on. It'll be interesting to see how much of an advantage England's lower order will be in a situation like this.

Indeed. Unless Bell sorts himself out overnight, we're far too dependant on Prior, and he can't save us every time. Swann's probably used up his decent knocks for the series too.

You do have to wonder exactly what the planning and preparation for this series involved. A couple of the batters have moved on from the first innings in the first test, but most of them seem to have no idea whatsoever. They can deny it all they want, but it smacks of massive complacency not to get their arses and brains into gear before the start of the series. Too many of them seem to be kidded by their averages.

 

[Pothas]

Hmm you have to wonder how long they can keep relying on Prior to bail the top order out against spin, sooner or later he's going to miss a straight one early on. It'll be interesting to see how much of an advantage England's lower order will be in a situation like this.

Swann and Broad have to bat aggressively and can't see them doing any differently, quick 25-30 from both of them would make a real difference.

Then of course we have Monty coming in off the back of a masterful innings in his last test.

 

[hazsa19]

Unless our last 5 bail us out, Pak are comfortably ahead given that England have to bat last on this track. A small lead won't be good enough for England, and they may not even get that. Well done Pak for coming back strongly, but our middle order is looking vastly over-rated in this series.

Morgan really doesn't have a clue at this level, does he.

I'm inclined to agree. Chasing anything more than 100 in the 4th innings will be fraught with danger

 

[Cevno]

Well Morgan is just not much cop, the other two are both rather odd cases, not sure how to judge them right now.

Why did Cook have to get out though.

Cook had just started to get bit too much across to compensate for the spin. Just had to miss or misread that one delivery.

Pretty good knock though.

 

[wpdavid]

Swann and Broad have to bat aggressively and can't see them doing any differently, quick 25-30 from both of them would make a real difference.

Then of course we have Monty coming in off the back of a masterful innings in his last test.

Reckon Monty can bat for 2 days this time?

As for Swann & Broad, we need another 150 tomorrow to keep us competitive in a game when we're batting last. Unless Bell and/or Prior make big contributions, cameos from our bowlers will simply be farting in the wind.

 

[dfx-]

Morgan really doesn't have a clue at this level, does he.

Pietersen - 8(?) years of Tests
Bell - 7(?) years of Tests
Morgan - 2(?) years of Tests

And the focus is on Morgan?

 

[Agent Nationaux]

haha Bob Willis saying that the Batsmen are covering their backs.

 

[Spark]

Cook had just started to get bit too much across to compensate for the spin. Just had to miss or misread that one delivery.

Pretty good knock though.

English batsmen could learn so much from that innings. He was decisive in his footwork, tried to rotate strike and punished loose balls - especially short stuff. His back foot play (something a few players, esp KP/Bell seem to have forgotten ats) was especially good.

 

[Uppercut]

Like 2nd dig 1st Test?

This time they're still in the game..

Just watching again, and that's such a good bit of bowling to get rid of Cook. Spent the last half-hour setting him up with off-breaks going across him then he turns the doosra off middle stump perfectly.

 

[Uppercut]

Pietersen - 8(?) years of Tests
Bell - 7(?) years of Tests
Morgan - 2(?) years of Tests

And the focus is on Morgan?

Yeah fair, it is pretty handy the way batsmen get bonus runs if they haven't been playing test cricket for very long. Makes this type of thing 100% relevant.

 

[amanuensis]

English batsmen could learn so much from that innings. He was decisive in his footwork, tried to rotate strike and punished loose balls - especially short stuff. His back foot play (something a few players, esp KP/Bell seem to have forgotten ats) was especially good.

He's an opener though, meaning that he gets at least a start against seamers. If you can't pick a spinner & are starting against him from scratch, you've got a big problem.

 

[wpdavid]

Pietersen - 8(?) years of Tests
Bell - 7(?) years of Tests
Morgan - 2(?) years of Tests

And the focus is on Morgan?

Only that he has no track record worth speaking of to justify his place in the side. He was crap against India too, let's not forget.

But yes, KP is living off past glories in this series.
And Bell was awful in the first test. He hasn't actually been dismissed in this test yet, has he?

 

[Pothas]

Indeed. Unless Bell sorts himself out overnight, we're far too dependant on Prior, and he can't save us every time. Swann's probably used up his decent knocks for the series too.

You do have to wonder exactly what the planning and preparation for this series involved. A couple of the batters have moved on from the first innings in the first test, but most of them seem to have no idea whatsoever. They can deny it all they want, but it smacks of massive complacency not to get their arses and brains into gear before the start of the series. Too many of them seem to be kidded by their averages.

Don't really buy the complacency argument, no doubt they were not fully prepared for the first teat but some of them are just genuinely really struggling and when you get into a mess against spin you look especially bad. PIetersen gets an awful lot of criticism but he works very hard and Bell is the same, he just needs to work through this challenge, if he does then that the final proof he has become a really top class player.

 

[Xuhaib]

who said Morgan is England's best player of spin.

 

[Uppercut]

Swann and Broad have to bat aggressively and can't see them doing any differently, quick 25-30 from both of them would make a real difference.

Then of course we have Monty coming in off the back of a masterful innings in his last test.

I'd back them to have a merry slog against quality swing or fast bowlers but I'll be properly impressed if they can do it against Ajmal and co. on this deck. Would be so, so useful if they could too.

 

[Burgey]

Difficult to put into words how bad that last 45 minutes was.

Why not send the nightwatchman out if you have no intention of scoring any runs?

They did

 

[Xuhaib]

This time they're still in the game..

Just watching again, and that's such a good bit of bowling to get rid of Cook. Spent the last half-hour setting him up with off-breaks going across him then he turns the doosra off middle stump perfectly.

thats why I find it harsh when people just dismiss him as a doosra machiene. His offbreak is good eonugh to make his Doosra even more potent.

 

[smash84]

Unless our last 5 bail us out, Pak are comfortably ahead given that England have to bat last on this track. A small lead won't be good enough for England, and they may not even get that. Well done Pak for coming back strongly, but our middle order is looking vastly over-rated in this series.

Morgan really doesn't have a clue at this level, does he.

I'm inclined to agree. Chasing anything more than 100 in the 4th innings will be fraught with danger

Reckon Monty can bat for 2 days this time?

As for Swann & Broad, we need another 150 tomorrow to keep us competitive in a game when we're batting last. Unless Bell and/or Prior make big contributions, cameos from our bowlers will simply be farting in the wind.

Massive Gambhiring after Gambhring after Gambhiring

 

[wpdavid]

I'd back them to have a merry slog against quality swing or fast bowlers but I'll be properly impressed if they can do it against Ajmal and co. on this deck.

Agreed.