IF the first day of the third and final Test is any indication of what is to follow in the next few days on this lively pitch where the ball is turning square right from the first ball bowled by a spinner then understandably this could no doubt produce a result.

The batsmen were kept busy by the England bowlers with the spinners getting turn and bounce as wickets fell and runs became difficult to get. Younis Khan and later Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed did however offered defiance and a resolve to repair the damage done by James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Samit Patel.

In the situation as it was the sensible way to get out of the rot was to try and stay and play the waiting game and frustrate the bowlers. Misbah and Srafraz in a way succeeded in that sharing a useful stand of 80 for the sixth wicket.

I would not have used Azhar Ali as an opener because of the fact that he was out injured for some time and needed to be sent down the order. Shoaib Malik could easily would have been a better option.

Pakistan no doubt were bogged down most of the time because of the help that bowlers extracted from the first day wearing pitch.

The demise was all but clear of Pakistan innings on a paltry score. In the circumstances Misbah played a vital role while grafting his way to 71.

The question obviously now comes to mind whether England batsmen on a wicket like this would perform any better than Pakistan. Would Alastair Cook, Joe Root and company and the rest be able to snatch a first innings lead which in the end could be very valuable to have.

The team batting last on this pitch would be England and that would be fun if Pakistan manage to bowl them out through their spinners cheaply as they have been out in their innings.

Whatever the case in the end this certainly is a result oriented game which takes us all in one direction and that could easily be a four-day finish.

We need to appreciate how well and how strongly Cook and his men brought themselves back in the game in the effort to square the series.

They took the risk of playing three spinners, Moeen, Adil and Patel, all of Pakistan and Indian extract and who did produce required result.

That Pakistan used leg-spinner Yasir Shah to open the bowling with Rahat Ali itself speaks much what Misbah has in mind having batted on this pitch for a longer time than the rest.

Cook and Root have a very important task and hand to carry this England batting line-up which reputedly has a wagging tail, ill equipped to resist pressure of a kind which may not be of their liking.

We will be on tenterhooks today to see how well Yasir and Zulfiqar Babar perform on this pitch. This is indeed tailor-made for them.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2015

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