Eng in Pak, Oct 7-28

[sussexpob]

16 overs left today... England can't lose more than 1

[Arthur Crabtree]

That could hardly have gone worse. Well done though to Rehan.

Pakistan in charge, but England still in the game.

[sussexpob]

Shan Masood handing the ball to his part time spinner first up, cant say I understand that. An over for the spread betters?

[sussexpob]

There goes Duckett.... shocking decision from the umpire that, how has he not given it out

[sussexpob]

Pope badly needs a score here

[mikesiva]

Pakistan 344 all out

Shakeel 134
Sajid 48*
Noman 45

Rehan 4-66
Bashir 3-129

[Durhamfootman]

not sure which makes me more cross..... my assumption that England had thrown 3 wickets away employing a couple of nightwatchmen, or then finding out that they hadn't

[sussexpob]

Pope badly needs a score here

My patience has broken with Ollie Pope. I said a long time ago I thought he has lots of talent, but its outweighed by his negatives. He has to go....

[Arthur Crabtree]

Seems not long ago when we were contemplating the decline of the Pakistan team.

[sussexpob]

I think this series has become a great indicator of where England are. When the pitch is docile, the baseball slogging is impressive and players wrack up the runs, but then the ball moves and the horror show starts for alot of them. England need to start making some tough choices, because we need to be honest... players like Crawley and Pope average low 30s (And the latter a train wreck against anyone good) for a reason, and over a very long time. Players don't suddenly become world class after 60 tests... they are, and always will be, below average players. And below average players in the top 3 do not win you test series against the very best teams. That is the reality... is beating Australia and India in marquee series, and challenging them away, or winning the WTC is the goal, then we are miles from it at the moment.

The tough choices need to start at the very heart of the team.... we need to talk about Ben. I can feel the eye's roll, but I think even Stokes biggest fans surely must now look at his long term and short term form, and have to conclude its terminal?

Since summer 2020 he's averaged 30. His average in the last 12 months has been mid-20s. He no longer really bowls anymore, and the team throw the ball to Root more than Stokes. He has been constantly unfit..... 4 years isn't a small dot. This is a continued, elongated barren run of form that continues downwards.

You have to have religious levels of faith in Ben to look at the facts and conclude he's not done. He hasn't justified his place in the team for over 4 years

[Durhamfootman]

Pope badly needs a score here

My patience has broken with Ollie Pope. I said a long time ago I thought he has lots of talent, but its outweighed by his negatives. He has to go....

has 3 test hundreds to his name this year

[Durhamfootman]

well, tails between their legs ain't in it

a thumping

[mikesiva]

England 112 all out

Root 33

Noman 6-42
Sajid 4-69

Target 36

Pakistan 37-1

Masood 23*

Pakistan won by nine wickets.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Credit to Shakeel for scoring 134 on a pitch where there were only two other 50s. I suppose conceding 160 for Pakistan's 8th and 9th wicket cost England the game, but that sounds like an excuse for the batters.

[meninblue]

Seems like the match turned when England bowlers could not break the partnership between Noman and Sajid partnership. Not many teams will lose in Asia, having won the toss and opted to bat on a spinners wicket, with three specialist spinners and Joe as part time spin option. Add to it that Pakistan are 8th ranked team.

Credit to Pakistan management who realized they had to sack babar and Shaheen, the two main players who had created their own group and combined with other factors were on a decline for a long time across formats. Most of the toxic culture was probably removed with this move. Good victory for Shan Masood as he had got first six test losses as captain and managed to stop his awful performance as test captain with this series win. But a home series win is a home series win, no more no less, not a spectacular win in away conditions. This was Pakistans best chance to win yet another series in Pakistan as they had won the first test, and they were batting first in this last test with 3 specialist spinners to perform in second bowling innings. The batters did not do well in first innings and second innings fro England. The sEngland spinners failed to break Noman and Sajid partnership and the batters. This is a loss worth thinking upon and improving as imo they had an upper hand for most part of the series.

England failed badly with Bazball in India, and when the ball spun in two tests, England lost those two in Pakistan. It will be interesting to see whether Bazball suceeds in a tough series against Australia in Australia.

Saud's test career is revived by this 134. Escapes the axe for next series and might get few more tests now. After a long time he scored crucial runs rather than easy ones which he was doing in past.