Pakistan v England 3rd Test, Sharjah, Nov 1-5

[backfootpunch]

moeen, rashid and patel are playing for a spot on the plane to south africa

moeen failed again, so a significant contribution with the bat from either of the other two should give them a good chance considering they were equally bad with the ball

in fact moeen was probably the worst of the three with both bat and ball this series

meanwhile kevin pietersen made 115 off 66 today, but lets ignore that

[m@tt]

moeen, rashid and patel are playing for a spot on the plane to south africa

moeen failed again, so a significant contribution with the bat from either of the other two should give them a good chance considering they were equally bad with the ball

in fact moeen was probably the worst of the three with both bat and ball this series

meanwhile kevin pietersen made 115 off 66 today, but lets ignore that

There will be two spinners on the plane. Always need a reserve. Unless they recall Tredwell or take a punt on Ansari (who is healing slowly), it will be Moeen and Rashid in SA. But through lack of obvious alternatives as opposed to them nailing down a place themselves. Patel has done OK in patches, same as Rashid, but neither ultimately has been consistent enough. Moeen has been a (bad) surprise, didnt expect him to do so poorly, but at least has some really good Test performances to fall back on.

[Gingerfinch]

Root didn't last long. Looks like it's down to our captain.

[Gingerfinch]

Game done and dusted already.

[yuppie]

What the hell has happened?

What must cook be thinking at the non strikers end.

[yuppie]

One of the very few bad games from Root, and this is what happens. A low score.

Cook still there, and it really is only these guys that have been saving England over the last year.

[Aidan11]

We've reverted back to type.


It's gone pretty much as I feared.

[yuppie]

We've reverted back to type.


It's gone pretty much as I feared.

That well.

These 2 seem to be showing the application required.

Giving some respectability to the score line.

That England batting line up will have the SA quicks licking their lips.

[yuppie]

Rashid has made more runs in this series the Ali

[Gingerfinch]

Rashid has made more runs in this series the Ali

Ali has been asked to open. If Ali had the luxury of coming down the order then I'd hazard a guess that he would have scored a few more.

[yuppie]

Rashid has made more runs in this series the Ali

Ali has been asked to open. If Ali had the luxury of coming down the order then I'd hazard a guess that he would have scored a few more.

I would agree. It has just proved what everyone already knew. Ali is not a opener, and now England go to SA with a huge question at the top of the order.

Rashid gone to a good ball. That partnership lasted 21 overs, or 16 more than the previous 4 combined

[budgetmeansbudget]

I'll wait until I get into to work to tune in. I normally arrive at 8am so it'll be lunch, hoping we're only 3 or 4 down, but I'm expecting 6.

7 down, oh well.

[yuppie]

I'll wait until I get into to work to tune in. I normally arrive at 8am so it'll be lunch, hoping we're only 3 or 4 down, but I'm expecting 6.

7 down, oh well.

For a while there it looked like it was not even going to get this far

[Gingerfinch]

Just read that this is the first time Cook and Broad have ever batted together in a test.

[budgetmeansbudget]

A game of two halves is the cliché that can be rolled out to describe this match.