England captain Alastair Cook, right, celebrates after Moeen Ali caught and bowled Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, as England beat Pakistan by 141 runs during day five of the 3rd Test match at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Sunday Aug. 7.
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“I thought we might get to No 1 in a couple of years’ time”. Such situations always remind one of the marathon innings of 337 by “Little Master” Hanif Mohammad who in 1957 Barbados Test batted for more than three days in a six-day Test to earn an unbelievable draw.
Cook might have a point and even if India deny them top spot in the next few weeks, England have a chance of seizing it from them when they travel to the sub-continent this winter to face Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men in five Tests before Christmas.
“The pitch doesn’t look like it is breaking up, but there’s enough there to take 10 wickets tomorrow (Sunday)”.
The Australian has set gaining the No.1 Test ranking as his long-term goal ever since taking on the England job in June of a year ago.
They are by no means flawless and Cook is right when he says there is a lot of room for improvement. We saw a year ago at The Oval, the wicket had a bit in it for everyone. Lyon bowled very well there and got some spin and bounce. England are unbeaten in their last six Tests at Edgbaston.
“At some stage, he will get an opportunity”.
Ex-England spinner Graeme Swann on TMS: “England pulled it off”. “I am happy that he did well against such type of bowling: experienced bowlers in their own conditions”. In the past we’ve been very good when we’ve been ahead, but this was the first game in a while when we’ve been behind and fought back’.
“It’s a bit harder (then) to run down the wicket and hit over the top and play reverse-sweeps and sweeps”.
Root, who made a Test-best 254 in England’s 330-run series-levelling win at Old Trafford, struck two superb fours off Sohail – a back-foot force followed by a cover-drive.
Finn’s bowling, like Moeen’s, had previously been a worry – but England have retained faith in him. “If we do win at The Oval, I wouldn’t say we are anywhere near our potential”, he said.
Three of those defeats came away from home, two in the UAE against Pakistan and the other in a dead rubber against South Africa at Centurion.
“We were never leading it – but then, when we got our chance, Mo and “Bluey” (Bairstow) put the pressure on them”, said Cook.
“Bowlers like Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are used to these conditions”.
“But having just four bowlers is a problem”. In the second innings as well, he made 70 before getting dismissed by Finn.
Before then, he lost his cool with both umpires when he was warned for treading in the “danger area” – and later had to apologise for what he admitted was “unacceptable behaviour”.
Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS). I don’t think it did it massively. I don’t think it did it massively.
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“To go through the gears like that, to score quicker and quicker as that last session went on was brilliant”.
