England beat Pakistan by 3 wickets in the first Test at Manchester in a close encounter

[ask_analyse_act]

Why play Shadab if you aren't going to bowl him?

Exactly and with less amounts of overs that he has bowled he is been effective.

 

[Kashur_Kalkharab]

They need to tighten up.... No need to try too much..

 

[Yk313]

Is Azhar even awake? Think he’s thinking Abbas and SK will get hammered. So waiting for NS to come back.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Pak making sure Woakes scores some runs here so that England won't play another extra batsman in the next match!

 

[watson367]

woakes pagal hogya lmao

 

[Ahmed216]

Yup... England kept on pushing our batsmen back by bowling bouncers, the fuller one was only a surprise. But Pakistan are too naive to figure it out.

.

 

[sweep_shot]

120 more runs are needed.

 

[Energy]

Azhar Ali captaincy is on full pathetic display. Comes across sometimes as a stubborn idiot. In a low scoring game he's giving way long bowling spells.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Push them on the back foot bowl some bouncers shaheen

 

[castortroy]

Shaheen getting destroyed

Take him off

 

[imshally81]

Good fielding..

 

[ARK Rafay]

Poor bowling and planning.

 

[Thomaskutty]

This is absorbing test match cricket.

 

[Titan24]

Naseem can be brought in for couple of overs if he is ready

 

[KhanPredator]

Woakes absolutely loves Pakistan wtfff

 

[Major]

Man bring abbas or shadab in here

 

[uberkoen]

Well fielded

 

[Usman Chadda]

Shaheen is bowling some absolute dross. Anderson would take full toll on this half volley fest, forget Woakes and Buttler.

He needs to learn how to keep himself calm if things dont go his way.

 

[sweep_shot]

Woakes is actually scoring more runs than Butler.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Azhar Ali what the hell are you doing? Wake up man!!!

 

[neonoir]

Come on Azhar make a change the game is slipping away, need to take action

 

[JibranAnsari]

Yasir lacks variety and becomes so much predictable. Needs to atleast vary his pace.

 

[castortroy]

Momentum has now shifted

Woakes is better than all our batsmen from Shadab to the tail

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Yasir shah again!! Whats wrong with azhar?

 

[ARK Rafay]

2-68 Yasir Shah. I reckon he'll hit 100 soon

 

[Energy]

Looks like Azhar will get slapped by Misbah on-field if he brings Shadab to bowl without his consent.

 

[Snowflake]

Not stopping quick singles and not covering the boundaries, what are we trying to get at with this field setup?

 

[Markhor]

Why play Shadab if you aren't going to bowl him?

Azhar Mahmood mentioned on BBC Radio the other day that Pakistan are reserving Shadab for England's tail due to his potent googlies.

I'd like to see him on before tea.

 

[sweep_shot]

This has been a good strategy from England.

When you are chasing a challenging total, you can't block all day. Attack is the best way to go.

 

[castortroy]

Misbah did and now azhar by overbowling Yasir

 

[Yk313]

Poor now from Pakistan. Really poor. If we lose from here Woakes is the MoM and big role by Buttler. Only Azhar can bottle it from here.

 

[sindhiboy]

What has happened to woakes? I think he is taking out his frustration of being under bowled by root

 

[Justcrazy]

England have clear edge , with the batting depth they have.

 

[uberkoen]

Winwiz doesn’t make sense

 

[castortroy]

Butler taking over here

 

[sweep_shot]

Current partnership: 48 runs from 7 overs.

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

This is so bloody annoying we are losing this

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Bit concerned

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Called it long time ago - Pakistan have a habit of turning people in poor forms into heroes.

 

[Yk313]

So this is why Jos is in the team, and precisely why we want him to be dropped. Can win these games singlehandedly. Meanwhile, this is also why Azhar is in the team. Only he can lose it from here lol.

 

[castortroy]

Butler is going to do a Stokes here

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Shadab on

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan need to get Butler here

 

[neonoir]

Why has Shadab only bowled one over?

 

[Markhor]

What the hell. Reverse swept for four.

 

[watson367]

rotate bowlers. come on azhar

 

[sweep_shot]

112 more runs are needed.

 

[Faisalabadimunda]

Need to get butler and woakes quick in next 5 overs. Then Shaheen And Naseem csn deal with the tail

 

[imshally81]

Shadab on..

 

[uberkoen]

Azhar Mahmood mentioned on BBC Radio the other day that Pakistan are reserving Shadab for England's tail due to his potent googlies.

I'd like to see him on before tea.

Reserving him? It’s not like he has a limited number of overs to ball. He can ball now and then later as well. Azhar doesn’t make sense

 

[JibranAnsari]

Buttler is going to make up for his missed chances.

 

[sindhiboy]

40 more runs in this partnership and eng are back in contention

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Have you guys forgotten? Broad is in great form as well! Gonna be a long evening today.

 

[Major]

Shadab is here

 

[Yk313]

Reserving him? It’s not like he has a limited number of overs to ball. He can ball now and then later as well. Azhar doesn’t make sense

Reserving him like we have 400 more to defend. Lol at Azhar.

 

[Swing]

Lots and lots of easy singles and boundaries. This partnership needs to go now.

 

[Yk313]

Pakistan need this tea break more. Singlehanded match winner at the crease.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

The last 10 overs belong to England

These 2 have batted positively

 

[Bigboii]

Azhar Ali right now

 

[uberkoen]

Shadab looking good. Don’t know why they’re using him so sparingly.

 

[sweep_shot]

Tea break.

England go to final session needing 110 more runs. Pakistan need 5 wickets.

 

[Justcrazy]

110 more required , England have 5 more wickets.

 

[ARK Rafay]

Already let off the England. This partnership has done the initial job. Even if it breaks now, Bess, Archer and Broad all can support Woakes/Buttler to get the rest of 100 runs.

 

[Afhan Ali]

Bess, Archer and Broad can bat.

 

[watson367]

need to keep in mind that broad and archer to come

 

[Markhor]

Rubbish from Pakistan in that last 20-30 mins.

We lose our heads too easily when attacked. Need Abbas on after tea to bowl line and length.

 

[Thomaskutty]

The Langer/Gilly partnership of 1999 at Hobart comes to mind ...

 

[Usman Chadda]

Shaheen's brain dead bowling has shifted the momentum towards England firmly.

 

[Titan24]

Naseem should start after tea

 

[sweep_shot]

This partnership is now worth 50 runs from 49 balls.

Positive batting.

 

[sweep_shot]

The Langer/Gilly partnership of 1999 at Hobart comes to mind ...

Yes. But, Langer and Gilchrist were facing a much tougher bowling attack and target was higher.

 

[Afhan Ali]

Match is slipping from our hands.

 

[Titan24]

Naseem should start after tea

With Abbas ideally

 

[asadee]

Poor captaincy from Azhar Ali. Should have given Yasir a rest for 5 overs and brought in Shadab

 

[Strike!]

This match may go down to the wire.

 

[Afhan Ali]

Butler always does well against us.

 

[Yk313]

Azhar Ali right now
View attachment 102675

Hahhaha hiw did I miss Stanley?

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Shaheen's brain dead bowling has shifted the momentum towards England firmly.

that is where captaincy plays a role. Things were working for Azhar by following Misbah's plan but that Shaheen's over was when he should have realized things needed to change and should have reacted.

It's like he is following a script and doesn't dare to defy,

 

[Titan24]

Poor captaincy from Azhar Ali. Should have given Yasir a rest for 5 overs and brought in Shadab

Yasir got the wickets of both Woakes and Buttler in first innings, that could be a reason for persistence

 

[Thomaskutty]

Yes. But, Langer and Gilchrist were facing a much tougher bowling attack and target was higher.

All the more reason for Pakistan to panic then..