6 Number of consecutive home series of four or more Tests that England had won, before this 2-2 draw against Pakistan.
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For this tour, after their boot camp, they prepared on green pitches in Lahore using Duke balls; and thus they peaked at Lord’s and, after slumping mid-series, found the strength and unity to peak a second time, so that by the end Pakistan were only one batsman short of a team. The Warwickshire player also averaged 35.40 with the bat yet believes there’s more he can offer to the team. But just living every day away from our country, without family and friends, it’s really hard. It’s mentally tough. I see my mother and sister only once a year and some friends not for three or four years. “We’ve been in these situations before so we will come out tomorrow (Sunday) and fight for this Test”.
“There is a hell of a lot of talent in the guys who are playing and I can’t fault their effort, but they just haven’t been good enough”.
Sami Aslam was 12 not out as Pakistan bounced back from their 141-run defeat in the third Test at Edgbaston in style.
Had England won the Test and the series, they would have had a chance of reaching top spot in the world rankings, had results elsewhere been in their favour.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 355 just before tea with Dinesh Chandimal top scoring with 132 and de Silva scoring 129 for his maiden test hundred in only his third game.
In their separate messages, they said that the success is a special gift for the nation on the 70th independence day of Pakistan.
Either way, it sets up a tantalising summer for Australia.
“Before the series everybody was talking about what a strong side Pakistan were and what a test they’d be”.
Pakistan has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in the fourth Test against England, which concluded at The Oval on Monday.
Reports in the British press Friday suggested England players would be allowed to skip the trip without endangering their long-term future in global cricket even if longstanding security advisor Reg Dickason gave the go-ahead to the tour.
“Consistently, we haven’t scored enough runs at the top of the order”, Cook said. Their performance contrasted with Great Britain’s Olympians busting a gut to get over the line in Rio.
“Once this test match is finished, sitting back and learning as much as we can from what we’ve done through this series and take that into the big series we’ve got later on in India”, Starc said.
“Our bowlers have an easy job now”, he said. He’s not a Yasir Shah as a spinner and he probably never will be.
“But he continues to work incredibly hard and he does pick up vital wickets for us”.
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“At the beginning of this series and at the beginning of this game, everyone was saying, “you could become No.1”.
