Cricket: Pakistan ripped through the English order to claim victory on the final day of the third Test. The result sealed a 2-0 series win, as England remain without a win over Pakistan since 2010. “Overall it has been a good series for Pakistan with everyone chipping in”.
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Bell was England’s third-highest run-scorer against Pakistan, scoring 158 runs at an average of 31.60.
Pakistan’s young leggie Yasir Shah has been shuffling the record book up and down constantly since he made first appearance in worldwide cricket, but now he has done something that has never been done in 100 years history of Test Cricket.
In Stuart Broad and James Anderson, England caused Pakistan all kinds of problems whenever one of them had the ball in their hand.
Cook felt though that in other crucial areas England were outplayed.
He said: “We threw everything at Pakistan for 15 days, with our commitment, our thought, our desire – and in a few really testing conditions”. “Because the manner in which our bowlers bowled yesterday and the pitch was spinning but we were also aware that England team has good players and their depth in the batting”.
Man of-the match Mohammad Hafeez rode his luck, in his second-innings 151.
Smith, with 48 in the first innings against New Zealand at the Gabba – the lowest score among a prolific Australian top five – and De Villiers, who posted a half-century on a rank turner in Mohali, have the opportunity to extend their lead over Root in their respective ongoing series.
Pakistan and England now play four one-day matches, the first in Abu Dhabi on November 11.
“I think that summed up the series”. “We competed really well in all three games but couldn’t dominate Pakistan at critical moments”, he said.
Perhaps the most jarring contrast of all, though, was how thoroughly Pakistan’s spinners outbowled Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and eventually Samit Patel.
“It is clear that we haven’t got world class spinners that is very obvious to see”.
“In India in 2012, we had two of the best spinners in the world and won the series pretty much because of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar”. “He has tremendous leadership qualities and we need that in future too”.
“I can’t fault the lads’ efforts. They’ve been absolutely outstanding”, he said.
“But it’s not down to effort”.
“They’re going to have to work it out, and get better in those circumstances”.
“We’re an inconsistent side at the moment”.
“Improve on the things that weren’t so good and even improve on the things that we were good as well”.
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Pakistan were last ranked so highly under Inzamam-ul-Haq in August 2006, immediately prior to losing a series in England.
