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

[castortroy]

Butler has done enough

 

[Yk313]

Let’s see if Azhar can take this close now. Still ENG’s to lose.

 

[Justcrazy]

Just 21 runs to get , England have match in their pocket.

 

[sindhiboy]

superb innings from butler

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

Can still win this.. come on boysssssss

 

[Major]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] out on umpires call

 

[Caved12]

We totally deserve this humiliation. Picking players who should have been dropped or retired years ago, making silly decisions of picking two leggies. Making Azhar Captain again who does not know a thing about captaincy and especially a time when he was finished as a player. Bringing Misbah as a head coach plus selector. I can go on and on...

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Is Chennai test on cards here?

 

[Muddaser]

Too much doom and gloom from Pakistani fans

I think your side has actually overachieved

I was expecting this to be walk in the park for us

A team like Pakistan was not meant to pose any threat to this great England side but they did

In the end, however, I dont think anyone should be surprised with England winning

Don't think the issue is losing. I didn't expect them to win.

When you have a team 117/5 chasing 277 and you can't finish them off it seriously breaks your heart.

 

[JaDed]

Finally a :wicket:

 

[Mamoon]

It's pretty convenient to always criticize and have no hopes from the team. That way if they do win, it's just a fluke, but if they don't then it's a 'I told you so' moment. Win-Win I guess.

We are so bad we can only fluke wins. That is the issue.

 

[Yk313]

I would rather ENG win by 1 or 2.

 

[castortroy]

Just need broad to smack a few and it's game over

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

Just 21 runs to get , England have match in their pocket.

You never know

 

[sindhiboy]

another wicket and who knows?

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Woakes and the bowlers will finish this game

 

[Major]

pakistani fans who were crying about rizwans decision yesterday, where you lot at

 

[Jeetlodil]

No celebrations from Pakistan. Butler has done a Hobart like Gilchrist. Can Yasir do a Chennai like Saqlain

 

[Mamoon]

This is why Buttler was persisted with. Fantastic match-winning effort.

 

[sweep_shot]

20 to tie.

21 to win.

4 wickets in hand.

All 3 results are possible.

 

[Smudger]

Hopefully a repeat of chennai

 

[Markhor]

Well it's too late now.

 

[Justcrazy]

Wicket finally , but damage has been done.

 

[Titan24]

To be honest I feel for Azhar, struggling with the bat and now tough day as captain.

 

[castortroy]

Broad in to give it a wack

 

[Yk313]

Don't think the issue is losing. I didn't expect them to win.

When you have a team 117/5 chasing 277 and you can't finish them off it seriously breaks your heart.

Precisely

 

[marlonbrowndo]

This is why Buttler was persisted with. Fantastic match-winning effort.

I still don’t think he should keep. If he plays as a specialist batsman he will have even less responsibility and a clear mind.

 

[PakFan2010]

If this was in the UAE, I think we would do it.

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] out on umpires call

By the umpire who is apparently biased towards England.

 

[MMHS]

Still possible, it’s Test cricket. But PAK’s risk is that Shadab might bowl couple of long hops. Butler has to be unlucky here, but I guess these things even out over the series.

 

[sweep_shot]

That was an unnecessary shot from Butler.

Reverse sweep when you need 21 to win.

 

[Omer Baloch]

The delayed Hawkeye reminded me of 2011 CWC SM

 

[Jeetlodil]

ye yeh Chennai hoga ya yeh Hobart hoga

 

[Markhor]

To be honest I feel for Azhar, struggling with the bat and now tough day as captain.

I would too if he retired after South Africa tour when he averaged 9. He was done and dusted as a batsman then.

 

[Titan24]

This is why Buttler was persisted with. Fantastic match-winning effort.

Pak has become kind of his bunny team across the formats. Exceptional performance though.

 

[IcedCoffee]

We are so bad we can only fluke wins. That is the issue.

You can't fluke your way to 2 back-to-back series draws in England where no.1 ranking teams have been humbled multiple times. At least be sensible.

 

[MMHS]

Send a lefti, May be Berbi, he can swing with the spin while Woakes has to stay till end

 

[tyron_woodley]

c'mon boys. you can do it. buttler the danger man is gone. 4 more hurry up.

 

[watson367]

If Sohail Khan played he would destroyed ghar ke sher Woakes.

 

[sweep_shot]

Send a lefti, May be Berbi, he can swing with the spin while Woakes has to stay till end

Looks like Broad is next.

 

[Major]

now who will bowl from othet end. give it to shadab i say

 

[Mamoon]

Still possible, it’s Test cricket. But PAK’s risk is that Shadab might bowl couple of long hops. Butler has to be unlucky here, but I guess these things even out over the series.

Don’t fall for the hype of Pakistani fans again. It is not possible because we are a disaster.

 

[Yk313]

At least now they should try NS to bounce Broady?

 

[Jeetlodil]

no faith in the pacers

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Shadab against Broad quite risky

 

[Major]

game is lost, you cant win it form here, we got the wicket too late.

 

[watson367]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] What is your opinion on Asad and Azhar's future?

 

[MMHS]

At Chennai also sixth wicket fell with 22 to win - let’s hope over hope.

 

[Mamoon]

You can't fluke your way to 2 back-to-back series draws in England where no.1 ranking teams have been humbled multiple times. At least be sensible.

2016 was the last time we were any good in Test cricket. We got lucky in 2018 because it was only a 2 match series.

 

[Major]

broad hits it for 4

 

[Deewana Mastana]

This is beyond pathetic by Pakistan

 

[castortroy]

Well played England

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

No shadydyyyyyyy

 

[Titan24]

I would too if he retired after South Africa tour when he averaged 9. He was done and dusted as a batsman then.

Thats true. Looking at his face I was kind of feeling bad, he should have retired by now definitely. Fault is of team management as well for sticking with him and making him captain.

 

[Jeetlodil]

Shadab is laughing

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] What is your opinion on Asad and Azhar's future?

Both need to go, but the problem is that we don’t have ATGs waiting in the ranks.

 

[sweep_shot]

16 to go.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Naseem or Shaheen would have been better

 

[Markhor]

You send a pacer against Broad !

 

[Major]

i think the only option is shadab, cant get a pacer here now

 

[Cric_lover4487]

This is beyond pathetic by Pakistan

Why he is not taking new ball?. Bizarre tactics by Pak!

 

[Caved12]

Wow Shadab is bowling to Broad now. *** is going on

 

[Justcrazy]

Four

Broad gets that away

 

[owais1]

It cant get more Pakistani than this. U have a huge lead, collapse as always and turn on the relax mode untill a partnership develops. I have seen this so often now, feeling so sad to always get the same heartbreak.

 

[Jeetlodil]

this is pathetic full toss bowling. cannot even fight till the end. Yasir only hope

 

[tyron_woodley]

either England are really good at home or pakistan are making then look better than they are. Pakistan should have easily won this game.

 

[watson367]

Both need to go, but the problem is that we don’t have ATGs waiting in the ranks.

I rather lose with rookies, than toxic seniors.

 

[castortroy]

Pak should have been batting today and have declared just before Tea

Collapsing for 169. Heads should roll

 

[Major]

llol Pakistan hyperactive here, thinking they can pull one ehre

 

[tyron_woodley]

i think the only option is shadab, cant get a pacer here now

why?

 

[sweep_shot]

Why he is not taking new ball?. Bizarre tactics by Pak!

New ball is due after this over.

 

[IMMY69]

We had everything at our disposal to win this game. Yes we threw it away in our second innings... but the captaincy today is what has cost the game

 

[MenInG]

Full toss from Shadab - what a time to bowl it

 

[castortroy]

This is not a 169 wicket

 

[Major]

i would rather of 2 leggies here, no need for pace bowlers

 

[Mamoon]

As I said yesterday, if England manage to dismiss us for around 150, we would end up handing over the match to them.

This match was actually over last night when we were reduced to 137-8. We wouldn’t be ranked 7th if he had the capacity to fight back after a setback and momentum shift.

 

[Ahmed216]

This pitch has been flat all day...cant blame the bowlers too much.. it has played so much better

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

[MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION]

You have been here for only a week but you have learned your lesson. It appears that your wisdom is limited to your user name only.

Would you be bumping my posts today like you did yesterday?

Dude, I love my country so i want them to do well and will support them no matter what.
However, you need to understand that apart from my nationalism, I am not a blind optimist and I dont regard this as a top tier team yet, neither do I celebrate mediocre players in this team.
There are just too many weaknesses atm, but it is not all doom n gloom like you point out.

My optimism is based on what can be in 3-4 years if things go how I expect them to.
I see potential and character in the two young fast bowlers. I also see an end of the fast bowling drought of the last 10 years. Now there are a lot of talented quicks coming up.
Azhar and Asad are going to leave, and two potentially very good batsmen are going to replace them in Haider ali n abdullah shafiq.
I see a potential great captain in Shan masood taking over from Azhar and changing the rotten culture.

I am more interested in what can be in 3,4 years and i think i am not wrong in this.

 

[sweep_shot]

llol Pakistan hyperactive here, thinking they can pull one ehre

Game is not done yet. Cricket is a funny game. You never know.

 

[MMHS]

Berbi against Yasir - has to knock him this over for any chance.