Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took five wickets to help Pakistan crush England by 10 wickets in the final Test at the Oval Sunday and level a fluctuating series 2-2.
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England were bundled out 253 with lead of just 39 which Pakistan wasted little time in knocking off. Azhar Ali sealed the win with a towering six off Moeen Ali.
England captain Alastair Cook said his side had still to conquer some longstanding problems after Pakistan had derailed their quest to become the world s number one Test side.
Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali tried to fix the damage with a 65-run partnership but once leg-spinner Yasir Shah dismissed England’s first innings centurion Ali for 32, the writing was on the wall for England.
“I don’t see why three or four of us all-rounders couldn’t play in the same team, as long as the coaches and our captain sees our bowling and batting are strong enough to do each discipline”.
The England allrounder turned on his heel after backing up too far at the non-striker’s end when Bairstow bunted one on the legside.
England have an established policy of ensuring all players selected are given an extended chance to prove themselves, but Bayliss has hinted time may well be running out. Charging in for his first over of the afternoon session with the sort of startling impact that only bowlers of genuine pace can create, Wahab got rid of each of England’s last two recognised batsmen, Bairstow and Chris Woakes, in consecutive deliveries to reduce England to 209 for 8.
Pakistan showed real character to bounce back from their Edgbaston defeat and level the series with England, says Misbah-ul-Haq.
Bairstow, looking to score at every opportunity and resolute when defence was required, completed his fourth fifty of the series and was well supported by Gary Ballance until the left-hander fished at one wide of off-stump from Sohail Khan for 17.
Before then, England will announce a squad on Tuesday morning for five ODIs against Pakistan, starting next week.
Pakistan needed 13.1 overs to do the necessary, without loss either side of tea, during which Steven Finn pulled up with a hamstring strain which will be scanned on Monday.
Younis’s 218 was the centrepiece of Pakistan’s first-innings 542 all out.
It’s a big area we’ve got to keep working on – and obviously, for us to take that next step to consistency, top-order first-innings runs are vital. “After being 2-1 down, losing the second Test badly and losing the third”.
England could, had they won at The Oval and seen other results around the world fall in their favour, have moved to the top of the Test rankings.
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Apart from the second Test, Pakistan’s cricket was admirable for a country that had not played Test cricket in 2016.
