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Pakistan v England | 1st Test | Abu Dhabi | Oct 13-17 | Day 3

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JibranAnsari said:
So , it's going to be a draw. Disgrace of a pitch.
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Too early to say for a 5 day game in UAE. Stuff generally happens late. England is by no means out of the woods and around this time, Pakistani fast bowlers come into their own with multiple wicket bursts. If they cross 300 with 2 or 3 down, I'd say they have done well.
 
Cook is the best Test opener in the world without question.
 
Why would you prepare such pitches .. to play in such a heat to produce only a boring draw. Shame.
 
This pitch is reminiscent of the 2010 series vs. South Africa, our first Test series in the UAE since renting it as our home.
 
Dark Lord said:
Come on man don't go overboard, he's decent at best, have you forgotten his slumber period where he couldn't even defend a straighter ball without getting LBW to part timers?
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Name one opener currently who is better...
 
91 mph would normally terrify but on this slab of cement it just harmlessly flies past.
 
Dark Lord said:
Come on man don't go overboard, he's decent at best, have you forgotten his slumber period where he couldn't even defend a straighter ball without getting LBW to part timers?
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Form is temporary. He had a poor couple of years, but this year he has shown signs of getting back to his best. He is the most accomplished Test opener around since the days of Langer, Hayden and Smith in the last 15 years.

People can enjoy Warner's blasting his way to hundreds but he lacks a very crucial attribute of a Test opener - ability to occupy the crease for long periods of time.

He is yet to play 200 deliveries in an innings, which is startling.

Cook is ridiculously underrated - he is an English great already and is just 30 years old. If he can push on for the next 5-6 years he will be counted among the best Test openers to have played the game.
 
I know these were wides but for some reason i hate paul reiffel. What the hell is wahab doing anyway!!
 
Dark Lord said:
David Warner, hands down, only a fool will put someone else ahead of him at the moment.
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Poor man's Sehwag who can't last more than a session. His inability to occupy the crease was a major reason for Australia failing to defend the Ashes.
 
Wahab has messed up his first over of the spell. 10 ball over in such heat on such a pitch is a punishment.
 
Wahab has gone from underrated to overrated - before the World Cup, he was considered crap and all that which is nonsense, but after letting a few fly past Watson's ears he has suddenly become a champion fast bowler who will make batsmen shiver.

The truth is that he is somewhere in between - a decent fast bowler who can be very good on his day and very poor when he is off-color; lacks the skill with the ball to force the issue and take 5-fers and 6-fers.

You need a fast bowler who can swing the ball both ways to partner him, so that we can recreate the combo of Harris and Johnson to a certain extent. Hopefully Amir can be that bowler.

Irfan has similar issues to Wahab and Rahat is too dumb; Imran is a third-seamer who can keep things tight and Junaid is a finished article now. Let's see how Hamza develops.
 
Wahab isnt working here bring rahat/imran. This pitch is absolutely rubbish
 
Forfeit the match and get Wahab a hair transplant. Nothing is going to happen here, too boring teams on a dull pitch.

The few people and flies who have showed up should be refunded.
 
If Cook gets 100 I will celebrate with a juicy cheeseburger and strawberry milkshake.
 
Better play junaid in the next match if the pitch ia going to be the same.. at least he will have an excuse.
 
Mamoon said:
Forfeit the match and get Wahab a hair transplant. Nothing is going to happen here, too boring teams on a dull pitch.

The few people and flies who have showed up should be refunded.
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Speaking of Hair, Babar looks like he has more hair this game!
 
Good knock but there was no challenge at all on this pitch.

Cook should target his first tripple.
 
Dark Lord said:
Come on man, don't compare him with a FTB like Shehwag, he's a much much better and technically correct batsman than the later. Warner has proved himself all around the world unlike Shehwag who used to feast on flat roads. Regarding Cook yes he has found his feet recently after a mediocre period of almost 2 years, he should thank his stars that he wasn't thrown out by ECB sooner in a time when he couldn't even drive without edging to keeper or slips. An average of 44 doesn't inspire much!
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Warner hasn't proved himself anywhere barring home and a couple of knocks here and there in SA and UAE. No doubt he is dangerous and can end up having a career like Sehwag, but to say he's better than him already is just not correct.

Sehwag is arguably the most dangerous Test batsman ever in subcontinent conditions. He has set up more wins for his team in a shorter time span than players like Tendulkar, Kumble and Dravid.

We Pakistanis are well aware of his capabilities. He absolutely humiliated us time and time again and has destroyed the likes of Muralitharan as well.

Cook's average cannot be compared to middle-order batsmen because he is an opener. How many Test openers in the last 15-20 years have averaged 50? Very few, compare that to the number of >50 averaging middle-order batsmen.

Average of 46 as opener is equivalent to an average of 50+ for a middle-order batsman. You have to be pretty special as a Test opener to score 9k runs and get 27 tons before the age of 30, that too when you open for England considering its the hardest place to open in Test cricket because of the lateral movement.

I always find it strange how the likes of Cook, Smith, Hayden, Langer etc. slip under the radar when people talk about great Test batsmen in the the last 15-20 years.

You are entitled to your opinion, but as far as I am concerned, he's a record-breaking opener who will be an ATG by the time how bows out of the game.
 
Ball is literally going straight and bouncing before reaching the keeper! What kind of cricket is this
 
I said on day 1 let's call the series a draw, play some charity games for the local labourers and save the bowlers!
 
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