Mohammed Hafeez produces the latest in a series of inexplicably tame dismissals to pull a gentle Stuart Broad bouncer down long leg’s throat.
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Alastair Cook’s team went 2-1 up with one to play in the Investec series when they fought back from an unpromising position to win by 141 runs at Edgbaston on Sunday.
But while recent results may have been disappointing, this tour has not been dogged by the controversy that afflicted Pakistan’s last two trips to England.
Meanwhile, under-pressure batsman James Vince has been declared fit for the final Test of the four-match series, despite dislocating a finger in the final session at Edgbaston.
By contrast this trip, where Pakistan won the first Test at Lord’s by 75 runs, has not yet witnessed any major flashpoints.
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‘If I’m being brutally honest it would be a bit soon for this team to go to No 1 now because we are still developing, there is still inconsistency, and we have plenty of improving to do.
“I think the way the boys have conducted themselves through these last two months has been exemplary. They’ve been brilliant in behaviour, both on and off the field, and they’ve been a credit to Pakistan”. He worked with Saqlain Mushtaq during the Old Trafford Test and, on the final afternoon at Edgbaston, managed to pitch the ball consistently on a full length with a touch more loop. The final Test begins on August 11. I need that edge because I think it’s made me the bowler I am but at the same time I want to stay the right side of the line’.
It was a skill left-arm paceman Zaheer demonstrated to good effect during India’s 1-0 success in the three-match Pataudi Trophy Test campaign in England in 2007 and Anderson, who was on the opposite side, took note.
The South African added: “I’m really happy with our all-round performance, particularly with the bat”.
“We’re going to the subcontinent later this year so he’s probably the spinner who’ll get the first opportunity there”. We could not do it even on the fourth day.
“I certainly did not feel that we ever rolled over there. We were in the contest for most of that game”.
It lead Misbah to suggest, with tongue in cheek, that Pakistan might have to think about sending their young bowlers to England to learn how to master the art of reverse swinging the ball; an irony considering it was Pakistan bowlers who perfected the art and England, for many years, were tortured by it.
“If we become number one at The Oval, that’s fantastic – but it will be a bit of an irrelevance, because this side has still got much further to go”, he said.
The Australian added: “We’ve always thought he had a lot of potential”.
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“It does a huge amount for the team, knowing you can be 100 runs behind and come back”, Anderson said.
