Pakistan’s domination right from the first day of the second Test finally brought them a sensational and a well-deserved result in the final stages of the game which at one time appeared like slipping away from them as England stoutly defended in quest for a great escape.

But it is also a fact that had it not been for the lost opportunities and lapses in the field, this win could have been a walk in the park for Pakistan bowlers on a last day pitch.

As many as four catches were spilled off the spinners which allowed England to fight on and delay the inevitable.

The fine rearguard by English late order batting was led by Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid who batted defiantly for nearly over four hours to share a 55-run stand for the ninth wicket with Mark Wood.

Adil, who made 61, was dropped when 40 and he piled misery on Pakistan before getting dismissed as last man in fading light.

It was a record stand for the ninth wicket in the fourth innings of a Test match which lasted over twenty nine overs and which nearly did the job for England.

In any case the writing for England was always on the wall right from the first day as their bowlers struggled to stop Pakistan’s run riot and then concede a sizeable first innings lead.

They never really recovered from then on as Misbah-ul-Haq’s men batted with flair to maul England’s attack and set a record target which was never looked within grasp for Alastair Cook’s men.

These two Tests have undoubtedly given Pakistan a kind of psychological uplift and self confidence and a feeling of self belief that if they play as well as they have done so far, they can score another victory in Sharjah to emerge 2-0 winners.

This Pakistan side appears to be the right blend of players with their bowling attack as well as their batting line-up delivering with aplomb.

Both Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar have bowled superbly in both matches, as have Wahab Riaz and Imran Khan.

Though not consistent with his wicket taking ability, Imran certainly looks quite good and effective.

Keeping a good line and making the batsmen play all the time is what successful bowlers do and that is what Imran and Wahab have learnt through experience which no doubt will hold them in good stead for some time to come.

The pressure from the two pacers on the English batsmen allowed Misbah to use his spinners sensibly from the other end which kept the opposition guessing.

A delighted Misbah in the end admitted that it was quite tense in the middle when the ninth wicket partnership between Adil Rashid and Mark Wood progressed and stretched the match to the final overs of the game.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2015

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