Pakistan celebrated its independence day with a 10-wicket victory over England in the fourth test to draw the four-match series 2-2 on Monday.
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At The Oval, he managed just 18 runs over two innings, dropped a routine catch and annoyed the England management by getting himself fined after confronting the third umpire about his first-innings dismissal to a controversial low catch.
PM also applauded efforts of talented leg-spinner Yasir Shah who took six wickets that consolidated Pakistan Cricket Team’s position in the match.
His side were beaten by 10 wickets at The Kia Oval in the fourth Test as Pakistan levelled the Investec series at 2-2 with a day to spare. At one stage we were winning this series. ‘We’re a good side when we’re on it, but there are areas we need to improve to make the next step’.
Pakistan’s achievement is all the more impressive as they have not played a Test series on home soil since an armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore in 2009 turned the country into a no-go area for the world’s leading Test nations.
“The next month or so will be very important for guys playing county cricket who have aspirations of playing at the top level”.
However the runs came, on a pitch still favouring the batsmen, England and their supporters were grateful.
Shah was a model of controlled commitment that Alex Hales could copy: although England got on top of him in the two middle Tests, Shah was always contributing useful runs or being their best outfielder.
But Sohail Khan, a right-arm, English-style seamer, made the breakthrough on an overcast morning when his lifting ball had Ballance, carelessly flirting outside off stump, caught behind for 17. But the writing was on the wall for Alastair Cook’s side when four more wickets tumbled with just 209 on the board, with Jonny Bairstow departing following a battling 81.
Had England beaten Pakistan and results from India’s tour of the Caribbean gone their way, Cook’s outfit would have hit the summit of the Test world rankings for the first time since 2012.
“Credit to both sides, who played in a brilliant spirit”.
Stokes has been sidelined with knee and calf injuries while Wood has undergone two ankle surgeries since last playing for England in a Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October.
“They’ve definitely had a decent run at it”, said Bayliss.
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“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.
