The beauty of Test cricket is in its nature to be absorbing and exciting on a given day and dull and dreary the very next when wickets become a rare commodity and runs hard to get, depending mainly on the circumstances and situation which changes from time to time.

Lady luck plays its part as much influencing the course of the game. A great bowling spell or timely partnership or an innings of substance could have its own bearing on the way the game takes it course.

At the close of play on the first day, when Pakistan batsmen struggled against the English pace and spin to be bowled out for 234 on a wicket which showed turn and bounce and appeared difficult one to handle, no one had any doubts about what could be in store for the next few days.

But on Monday, the juice of the first day pitch having dried up presented neither bite nor the movement that was expected. That resulted in the pitch playing straight as it eased up, making the bowlers work harder.

It must be said too that Alastair Cook though labored in the middle to find the gap, he however managed to thwart the early threats after his partner Moeen Ali was dismissed cheaply.

That really laid the foundation for England to take charge despite Joe Root’s dismissal off a brilliant one-handed catch by Sarfraz Ahmed.

The inclusion of diminutive James Taylor from Nottinghamshire then certainly came as a blessing for Cook’s men. Though they were not able to get past Pakistan’s score at the end of the day, they did show through Taylor that they are well poised to take a first innings lead in this game of cat and mouse and will try and level the series. Only when the England innings ends, one would be able to judge which way this match will go.

The performance of the day was no doubt be credited to 5 ft, 6 inch Taylor considered to be the shortest player playing county cricket and who made his Test debut against South Africa three years ago.

Son of a National Hunt Jockey Steve James who was also of a similar height, Taylor played handsome looking cuts and drives against both spin and pace and close of the day seemed to have settled in his saddle as he shared a fine 83-run stand for the fifth wicket with Bairstow.

Today, it is important that Pakistan make an early breakthrough and try and restrict the tail, not allowing them occupation of the crease for long. They need to grab five more wickets to bat again. It is unlikely that injured Ben Stokes will take the field after that shoulder injury while attempting a catch on the first day.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2015

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